Shelley (jessibud2) Will Read Anywhere

I am Shelley, a retired special education teacher, living in Toronto, Canada with my 2 newest challenges, um, rescue cats, Theo the Terror Kitten and Owen.

I read fiction (especially historical fiction), a lot of non-fiction (bio/memoir, science, history, nature, and whatever else strikes my fancy). I have enjoyed several GNs (both of the fiction and non-fiction variety) and I also love illustrated children's books. Maybe I was a frustrated artist in a previous life. I try to follow the NF challenge each year but I am very much a mood reader so it doesn't always work out as planned for me.

I am hoping to emerge from the book cave this year....

Looks safe?
Happy new thread!

Happy new yeat and happy new thread, Shelley!

My most fervent wishes for the coming year are to be rid of the pandemic, to have a back-to-normal US federal government, and to get to see you in person somewhere somehow!

Lord in heaven, please make my wishes come true! :)

Happy new thread in our 2021 group!

Happy new reading year, Shelley!

Thanks, Chelle, Madeline, Richard and Katie! I meant to add *2021* to my heading but forgot. Probably doesn't matter but I can't figure out how to edit it in.

>6 jessibud2: You can't now. It's only possible in the first ~30sec of a thread's existence. But no matter, just remember to put it in thread two!

>6 jessibud2: - Don't sweat it! I don't put the year in mine - the group name has the year and that appears next to individual threads :)

>7 richardderus:, >8 katiekrug: - Ok. Good enough, then! Thanks.

I f you're obsessed with having the new year in your thread (I always am - Haha!), create a new thread with a new title which includes the year and direct others from this thread to the corrected thread...before this thread gets too long! :D

Welcome back! Don’t sweat the name - we’ll find you!

Nice to see you back, Shelley.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year Shelley!

Love that bear reading cave in >1 jessibud2:. Looks very cozy. It will be nice to be able to emerge from it, though!

Hi Shelley my dear, i have starred you again and will be visiting throughout 2021 dear friend.

>7 richardderus:, >8 katiekrug:, >11 drneutron: - Thanks Richard, Katie, Jim. I will try to remember for the second thread. That's a good idea. And I won't sweat it till then. And, in case I forget, maybe someone can remind me. Or not. It will BE 2021 so probably no need to even do it at all, right?

>10 SqueakyChu: - Nah, I'm way too lazy for that, Madeline, ;-)

>12 PaulCranswick:, >13 cbl_tn:, >14 EllaTim:, >15 johnsimpson: - Thanks, Paul, Carrie, Ella and John. Looking very forward to the end of this year!

>14 EllaTim: - Ella, I had that picture as a poster on the door to my classroom when I was still teaching. I put it up on the door, usually in November, when the weather turned wintry, and kept it there till spring. I just love the coziness of it. Some of my students would greet the bear each morning! :-)

Hope 2021 is full of great reads!

>17 thornton37814: - Thanks, Lori. For you, too!

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Dropping a star, Shelley.

Hi Shelley! Happy New Year! I know we are all hoping for much better things in 2021. A new U.S. president, my retirement, an effective distribution of the vaccine(s)....
Whatever it brings, I'm happy to know you and looking forward to another year of enjoyable reading and discussion.

Happy New Year Shelley. Love your book igloo. I'd need a few blankets though. Brrrr.

Happy New Thread, Shelley. Happy New Year! Glad we are turning the page on that chapter.

Happy reading in 2021, Shelley!

Happy new year Shelley and hope 2021 has lots of wonderful reading for you!

And keep up with my friends here, Shelley. Have a great 2021.

Hi Shelley, and Happy New Year!

>19 DianaNL:, >20 Crazymamie:, >21 EBT1002:, >22 Caroline_McElwee:, >23 msf59:, >24 FAMeulstee:, >25 mdoris:, >26 PaulCranswick:, >27 karenmarie: - Thanks, all, and happy new year to you all, too. Let the door open on better days.

Hi Shelley!

Looking forward to your reading adventure!

Up and awake since 4:30 am. Because: Theo. Not a happy camper.

I have 4 books waiting for me to pick up at the library, which won't be open till Monday, so meantime, I am dipping into a book I've had for a year or so, called To Obama, With Love, Joy, Anger and Hope. Before this book, I had never known that (from the blurb on the back): "Every night for eight years, at his request, Barack Obama was given ten handpicked letters written by ordinary American citizens - the unfiltered voice of a nation - from his Office of Presidential Correspondence. He was the first president to interact daily with constituent mail and to archive it in its entirety. The letters affected not only the president and his policies but also the deeply committed people who were tasked with opening and reading the millions of pleas, rants thank-yous, and apologies that landed in the White House mailroom. They wrote to Obama out of gratitude and desperation, in their darkest times of need, in search of connection. They wrote with anger, fear and respect. And together, this chorus of voices achieves a kind of beautiful harmony. (This book) is an intimate look at one man's relationship to the American people, and at a time when empathy intersected with politics in the White House."

Especially since that has been totally absent since he's left office - this is my editorial thought.

This isn't a story, rather a chronicle so it's an easy book to dip in and out of. And yes, his replies to the letters are in the book, too. My only issue is that I needed to use a magnifier sometimes because the letters (and replies) are reprinted as written and sometimes the print is quite small and a tad hard to decipher. But that's ok, I have a good one! ;-)

I actually started this book before I began A Promised Land so it's a kind of nice complement to it. I know I sound like a total groupie but I am continually impressed at this man's humanity and decency.

>30 jessibud2: I have been thinking of nudging that volume up too Shelley.

How odd. Part of my post seemed to be missing, I noticed after reading your comment, Caroline. I went back into edit mode and it was there, entirely. I removed a couple of parentheses and now it seems to be posting alright. I have no idea why that happened. I had put the brackets around my editorial comment. I guess LT doesn't like that.

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

Happy New Year Shelley!

Thanks, Roni and Jeff! Welcome and happy new year, too!

Well, apparently the library was open today. Not sure why I thought it wouldn't be. It's curbside pick-up only, one person in the front door at a time. I place my library card in a small basket, the librarian retrieves my books, signs them out for me and off I go. I had 4 books waiting but I picked up only 2 so I could finish them and then get the next 2 without having all four to get through at once and perhaps having to renew. I also found out there is a fifth in transit to me. But I should be able to get through these 2 in plenty of time. I picked up Constitution Illustrated and Blackboard - A Personal History of the Classroom.

Happy new year, Shelley!

>36 banjo123: - Thanks, Rhonda Back 'atcha!

And I just realized that I have neglected to include the boys in my new thread. So, before they mete out punishment, here they are:

Theo, the original Enfant Terrible:


and Owen, in his favourite box:

I can't wait to meet these guys in person! Love them!

Don'tcha just love how much cats love a box?! The photo of Theo made me laugh out loud.

>39 SqueakyChu: - Hang in there, Madeline. Some day, we'll meet again!

>40 Crazymamie: - Yeah, Mamie, Theo actually sat like that for a good 5 minutes or more while I took photos, which was a bit difficult because I couldn't stop laughing. He sure is a character. I am considering writing a little book, which has a working title of *NO, Theo!* as he seems to find new places to get into that he should not be, every day. I have tried to take photos as I can. It's apparently my next project until he outgrows kittenhood. It's that or tear my hair out.

>38 jessibud2: Gorgeous pictures.

Well, apologies to my American friends, but seriously, your system of government is even more convoluted and confusing than I previously thought. I also may DNF the first book I brought home today from the library. Constitution Illustrated is an odd little book. It is basically the entire American Constitution, written out, and illustrated with every cartoon or comic book character you can imagine, from the Archie gang, to Dennis the Menace, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Nancy, the Flintstones, the crew from Peanuts, Bugs Bunny, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Spongebob, and several superheroes, randomly acting out each page, each section, amendment, etc. Maybe I am missing something, not being American, but that alone is a head-scratcher. It may be cute, but if using comic characters is intended to make the text clearer or more easily understood, I don't think it worked. At least, not for me. I became more focused on seeing how many cartoon characters I could identify, than on trying to untangle and understand the language of the Constitution.

And the language! I get it that this is (was) a legal document and therefore the *legalese*, but my eyes started to glaze over at around page 8 or 9. Sentences that go on and on and on, and in the end, I simply wasn't always sure what it all meant.

I thought this little book would help me understand things better. Maybe - likely - I am just too dim to take it all in and make heads or tails of it. Good thing I am not trying to pass a citizenship test. Or become a lawyer. Oh well....

On to the next one...because, as we all know, there is always a next one.

>41 jessibud2: In a look back to my Canada trip (which seems so long ago!), I finally read the book that my friend at The Write Bookshop in St. Catherine’s gave me. She is married to the brother of the author of that book which is entitled Blond China Doll. The book was great. I have no idea why it took me so long to read it. I posted a review of it on my thread. If you ever get the chance, after the pandemic, go visit her bookshop! :)

>43 jessibud2: I became more focused on seeing how many cartoon characters I could identify...

LOL!!

>38 jessibud2: Theo and Owen are such handsome bois! Definitely photo worthy.

>43 jessibud2: That doesn't actually sound like much of a good book just in terms of concept. Not surprised it didn't work for you.

>42 mdoris: - I missed you up there, Mary! Thanks. They are beautiful but quite a handful, at least at the moment. But we are slowly but surely finding our way together. I've been spoiled, apparently, by all my previous cats. I have never had such a long breaking-in period (for them or for me!). But this too, shall pass, as they say.

>44 SqueakyChu: - Oddly, I recently read something about that book, Madeline. I will go check out your review. And yes, I am easily distracted, lol! I decided to pass on the rest of the book and just start the second library book I brought home yesterday. So far, much better! It is called Blackboard and is about the school system in the States from a personal perspective. It's a slim volume, under 200 pages and so far, quite readable and enjoyable.

>45 justchris: - Hello, welcome to my thread and thanks, re my boys. As for the book, I think I was hoping more for an interpretation I could more easily understand. The illustrations were fun, but the text was verbatim, exactly the words written in the Constitution and for me, that didn't help. I do try to understand the American system but I just have to accept that that probably will never happen, lol!

Happy New Year, Shelley. The Obama letters sound interesting. I'll add it to my list.

>43 jessibud2: Well, apologies to my American friends, but seriously, your system of government is even more convoluted and confusing than I previously thought
*snork!* Nope, that's fair. It's a hot mess.

Theo and Owen are adorable!

>47 BLBera: - Hi Beth and happy new year to you too! I am enjoying it so far I always take some comfort when I read the reviews on LT. For this one, there are 4, 2 are 5 stars, one was mediocre and one didn't both finishing it. Since I just finished reading A Promised Land, I think that one sheds a bit of perspective on just h ow much Obama had on his plate on any given day and still, managed to deal with this correspondence. I think that speaks volumes to his character.

>48 scaifea: - Thanks for that, Amber. I don't mean ever to insult anyone. It's probably more a testament to my own inability to comprehend such a tangled web, than anything. Or inability to do the hard work of trying...

And thanks, re the boys. I keep telling them they are lucky they are so cute....;-)

I often wonder what the point of books like Constitution Illustrated is, too...adorning an elaborately lawyerly document with Minnie Mouse only serves to make me angry that Disney *ptooptoo* owns enough of our government to force it to extend copyright to ninety-five years from 75 so their revolting little rat will be all safely lawyerable.

I want them on the DoJ's hitlist of corps to break into teensy weensy itty flinders and forbid from ever reuniting under penalty of expropriation.

>50 richardderus: - It really did seem weird, and frankly, irrelevant, to me too, Richard.

Ok, my review of Barack Obama's A Promised Land is finally here. I had to copy out several quotes but believe it or not, I left out way more. No three sentence review for me on this one, I'm afraid!

Not being American, I wasn't familiar with a lot of the names of the politicians. And those I know now were mostly not on my radar at all back in 2006,7,8. I learned a lot in this book, and I also learned that I don't need to understand every detail, and every policy to recognize the enormity and gravity of the job of being president. It also helped me, I think, by following in the physical book as he read on the audio. His voice, the vocal nuances, emotion and expression, all came through and kept me riveted where I might have skimmed had I been reading just the text.

Obama is a man of such integrity that that alone would make this a worthy read. But the contrast between him and his values, and what came after him, is stomach-churning. It's interesting how he sometimes foreshadows what he will learn in the years that followed. And of course, I read some passages in the context and through the eyes of knowing that his successor would never, and is simply not capable of, approaching the office in remotely the same way.

There is much that went over my head (the nitty gritty details of the economic collapse, for example) but that's ok. I don't really need to understand all of it. It amazes me and boggles my mind, though, just how intelligent and how thoughtful, insightful and focused Obama is, the energy and integrity that went into everything he did, all the decisions he made and the way in which he handled and carried himself. Part of this - probably a large part - is his basic decency, his personality, who he is, how he was raised. His respect for those around him, and their expertise, his willingness to collaborate, his innate optimism, as well as his ability to be a realist, along side all of that. I don't want to re-quote the whole book (it would be easy, there are so many examples of this), but I couldn't do this review without some quotes:

From the beginning, talking about those who inspired him:
"Most of all, I was inspired by the young leaders of the civil rights movement - not just Dr. King but John Lewis and Bob Moses, Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. In their heroic efforts...I saw the possibility of practicing the values my mother had taught me; how you could build power not by putting others down but by lifting them up. This was true democracy at work - democracy not as a gift from on high, or a division of spoils between interest groups but rather democracy that was earned, the work of everybody."

He is also candid, honest and able to look inward to find truth:
"What I don't mention is my dark mood on that flight back. I was almost forty, broke, coming off a humiliating defeat and with my marriage strained. I felt for perhaps the first time in my life that I had taken a wrong turn; that whatever reservoirs of energy and optimism I thought I had, whatever potential I'd always banked on, had been used up on a fool's errand...In other words, I had become the very thing that, as a younger man, I had warned myself against. I had become a politician - and not a very good one at that."

About Hurricane Katrina:
"To see such suffering was bad enough; to see the slow government response, the vulnerability of so many poor and working class people, made me ashamed....The politics of the government had not changed. Forgotten people and forgotten voices remained everywhere, neglected by a government that often appeared blind or indifferent to their needs."

On collaboration:
"In the months to come, I would spend countless hours with this brain trust and their deputies, asking questions, sifting through recommendations, poring over slide decks and briefing books, formulating policy and then subjecting whatever we had thought up to relentless scrutiny. Arguments were heated, dissent encouraged, and no idea was rejected because it came from a junior staffer or didn't fit into a particular ideological predisposition."

On the attitude of the Republicans' determination to block his every move:
"It was the opening salvo in a battle plan that McConnell, Boehner, Cantor and the rest would deploy with impressive discipline for the next eight years: a refusal to work with me or members of my administration, regardless of the circumstances, the issue, or the consequences for the country."

On the weight of his job, work ethic and letters from constituents:
"...I'd been planted in my chair since dinnertime, the same way I was just about every night of the week. For me, these were often the quietest and most productive hours of the day; a time when I could catch up on work and prepare myself for whatever was coming next, poring over stacks of material my staff secretary sent up to the residence for my review. The latest economic data. Decision memos. Informational memos. Intelligence briefings. Legislative proposals. Drafts of speeches. Press conference talking points.
I felt the seriousness of my job most acutely when reading letters from constituents. I received a nightly batch of ten - some written longhand, others printed-out emails - arranged neatly in a purple folder. They were often the last thing I looked at before going to bed."

On his ability and willingness to learn:
"But for that first G20 summit in London, I stayed in my seat and listened intently to every speaker. Like the new kid at school, I was aware that others in the room were taking the measure of me, and I figured a bit of rookie humility might go a long way toward rallying people around the economic measures I was there to propose."

On general decency toward other people, other countries:
"If we want other countries to support our priorities", I told my NSC team, "we can't just bully them into it. We've got to show them we're taking their perspectives into account - or at least find them on a map." To be known. To be heard. To have one's unique identity recognized and seen as worthy. It was a universal human desire, I thought, as true for nations and peoples as it was for individuals. If I understood that basic truth more than some of my predecessors, perhaps it was because I had spent a big chunk of my childhood abroad and had family in places long considered *backward* and *underdeveloped*. Or maybe it was because as an African American, I'd experienced what it was like not to be fully seen inside my own country."

On the idiocy of the Right (my words, not his):
"Later, I learned that my simple bow to my elderly Japanese hosts had sent conservative commentators into a fit back home...One obscure blogger called it *treasonous*... I wondered when exactly such a sizeable portion of the American Right had become so frightened and insecure that they'd completely lost their minds."

On his own style of operating and how that worked or sometimes didn't:
"Keeping up morale, on the other hand, wasn't something I could delegate. I tried to be generous in my praise, measured in my criticism. In meetings, I made a point of eliciting everyone's views, including those of more junior staffers. Small stuff mattered - making sure it was me who brought out the cake for somebody's birthday, for example, or taking the time to call someone's parents for an anniversary...As the first African American president, I felt a particular obligation to model an inclusive workplace. Still, I tended to discount the role that race and gender - as opposed to the friction that typically arises when you get a group of stressed-out, type A high achievers confined in close quarters - actually played in office dynamics..."

On the frustrations of the job:
"At times, I felt like the fisherman in Hemingway's *The Old Man and The Sea*, sharks gnawing at my catch as I tried to tow it to shore."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will stop here. The man can write. I sure hope he is well into volume 2 by now....

>38 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. Thanks for posting the images of your cats. I was hoping to see them.
All good wishes for a wonderful New Year filled with outstanding books.

>52 jessibud2: I love that so many quotes inspired you! I've just skimmed your review, though, because I'm hoping to read it soon myself. (I think I may spend an Audible credit on it...)

>52 jessibud2: I am looking forward reading A Promised Land, Shelley. After your review even more.
I did read his book Dreams from my Father so I know he can write :-)

>54 scaifea: - It's a tome, Amber, but remarkably readable. It helps that he is so articulate and his humour is evident throughout despite how serious the subject matter. Go audio if you can. I'd recommend that. It made it go faster for me.

>53 Whisper1: - Hi Linda. Thanks, re my boys. We have had 2 really good days in a row, relatively few *issues* with Theo the Bully Boy so maybe we have turned a corner? Fingers crossed! Thanks also re the books. I am hopeful, too. And same to you!

>55 FAMeulstee: - I have read both his previous books, too, Anita and though this one is much longer, it doesn't disappoint.

>38 jessibud2: Those are gorgeous boys!

>52 jessibud2: Great review Shelley.

>58 cbl_tn: - Thank you, Carrie. I think so, too. We are working on getting the behaviour to match, ;-)

>59 Caroline_McElwee: - Thanks, Caroline. It was hard to choose even this small number of quotes. I had many more marked in my book (yes, I do write in books I own. I did use pencil, though;-)

>52 jessibud2: You make summiting the mountain of a book sound appealing, Shelley. Well crafted review.

Happy new thread and Happy New Year, Shelley. Good review of A Promised Land. I'm hoping that book is there. I'm hoping that book is there on my next Costco run. Fingers crossed that the boys have turned the right corner.

>60 jessibud2: I write all over my nonfiction books too. It's how I engage with the material. Of course, that ends up being far more intensive than blowing through popcorn fiction, so I end up reading much less nonfiction in the year.

>30 jessibud2: I had read something from one of his staffers who handled the mail and helped pick the daily top 10. It was a very moving piece. Ok, I take it back. It was probably an interview with the author of Ten Letters back when Eli Saslow was doing the rounds to promote his book.

Happy New Year, Shelley!

Lovely review of the Obama book, and great excerpts. As you say, the man can write. My wife got it for the holidays, so I'll read it after her.

Hi Shelley!

I do love that photo of Theo the Bully Cat and Owen in a Box is sweet.

I'm moving along slowly in A Promised Land. It's very readable but I'm in a strange mind-set right now and can't settle for hours at a time. I'll get back to that state of reading bliss soon.

>43 jessibud2: I have read The Constitution of the US of A, but not recently. Perhaps a re-read is in order.

Great comments on A Promised Land, Shelley. I hope to read it soonish.

Thanks, Joe, Karen, Beth. It was my final read of the previous year and a good note to go out on. In case you missed it somewhere up there where I mentioned it, I also happen to be reading a book of those very constituent letters he mentions briefly in the Big Book. It's not a story, but rather a chronicle and therefore easy to dip in and out of. It's called To Obama: With Love, Joy, Anger and Hope, written by a journalist and so far, quite interesting and moving. So this is a nice bit of crossover reading serendipity.

I worked in the Presidential Correspondence office at the White House (under the younger Bush - long story). It's a very large department and a lesser known one, of course, but I think facilitating that communication between a President and his constituents is so important. While I was there, we hosted a small group from the UK Prime Minister's office who were there to observe our processes and exchange "best practices". Fascinating stuff. I'll keep an eye out for the Laskas book (I already have a copy - print and audio - of A Promised Land).

>68 katiekrug: - Katie, I think I know the answer to this but do you think there is even a remote possibility that the current and soon-to-be OUT OF THERE guy even knows there is a Presidential Correspondence office in the White House? Of course, that might cut into his tweeting time so even if he knew, it probably wouldn't matter to him. *eye roll*...

I find it fascinating, too, that Obama did that, re the letters. I think it must not have been widely known, I am guessing, because I don't think it was publicized much, was it? I don't think it was ever on my radar until I found this book (the Laskas one). And you know, that is not surprising to me. That this would matter so much to him, and yet, be kind of under the radar. He doesn't seem to have to same need to toot his own horn, that his successor does...

Isn't amazing, Shelley, how the last 2 U.S. presidents represent the best and the worst that this country can produce? I will be SO happy when 1/20/2021 comes around. At some point I will listen to Obama's new book, but I'll wait a bit. Maybe in 2 or 3 years, when the Obama Presidential Library is built and opens up here in Chicago, you can come on down and we can have an LT Chicago meet-up at the new library. Put it on your calendar....

>69 jessibud2: - I know I read a couple of articles during the Obama years about the practice of reading letters every night, so it was publicized to some extent, at least down here.

Bush also regularly read correspondence that came in, but I don't think it was a standard-every-day-10-letters practice. I'd be surprised if Clinton, other Bush, etc. etc. didn't also do it. I would be surprised if Trump did :)

>70 kac522: - I like that idea, Kathy! I have never been to Chicago so there is also that appeal. Plus, there are enough Chicago LTers to fill a good sized table at a restaurant - and by then, that should be just fine again! :-)

>71 katiekrug: - I agree!

I was very sad today to learn of the death of Gerry Marsden, lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers. I loved that group and loved many of their songs. It is this version of the song from Broadway musical, Carousel, though, that I really loved. The lyrics seem eerily appropriate for our current situation these days and it is a lovely song of hope. (the video is also very sweet!):

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=gerry+marsden+you%27ll+never+walk+alone&amp...

>52 jessibud2: Good review. Totally agree with your summary - the man can write indeed. I found the book difficult at times simply because of the contrast between Trump and Obama. The idea of Trump focusing on process and intelligent decision making is laughable. Hard too imagine that America chose to pivot from Obama to Trump.

Erik. I agree with you and others on the incredible lack of leadership this man has done. When I worked, every day was packed filled with students, meetings, emails. There were days when I felt like I needed a break, then there was a knock on the door.

I state the above because I truly wonder what Trump accomplishes other than things about himself. Now, he spends more time regarding the Georgia votes. Does this man work at all?

>52 jessibud2: >74 Oberon:

My daughter and I received A Promised Land for Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa
celebrating and are planning to read it to each other as soon as the grotesquely embarrassing
scenarios projected for January 6th have resolved.

It would be welcome to read President Obama's words on how and why
"...America chose to pivot from Obama to Trump."

>72 jessibud2: Hell, Chicago isn't so far away for me...

>74 Oberon: White America pivoted. A nice but critical distinction.

>75 Whisper1: He works only when pressed into it, like a toddler forced to eat his peas instead of playing with them.

>74 Oberon: - Thanks, Erik. Yes, I was also acutely aware (painfully aware) of the contrast between the two. I just hope the paddy wagons are waiting for trumpty dumpty on January 20. There is only one house he deserves to live in.....

>75 Whisper1: - I have often wondered that, too, Linda. What exactly does he do (other than tweet)?

>76 m.belljackson: - He was remarkably silent in the book about trump, Marianne, and when he did mention him, it was in fairly general context. This book was mostly about his first term. I believe that volume 2 will be about his second term and there may be more then. Even so, as disgraceful a human as trump is, and as much of a polar opposite as one can imagine, to Obama, I will bet that Obama will still speak respectfully because, that is who he is. In this volume, every time he wrote about respect or value, or any other of his many genuine qualities, it was hard not to read between the lines and compare....

>77 justchris: - He works only when pressed into it, like a toddler forced to eat his peas instead of playing with them. Oh, that is a great visual, lol!

I saw your message on Mamie's thread, Shelley.
Your thread was on the second page of the group page, by posting my msg, it will move to the top.
Charlotte has a thread in the Category Challenge group, you can find the link in the Threadbook.

Thanks, Anita. I checked the second page but I guess I missed me, lol! I did find Charlotte, though, thanks again!

I have said all I probably need to say (possibly more) about current events, on other threads. So, to lighten the mood, in a way, I will just leave this here. If only:



Maybe this isn't a subject for humour, either, but we have to take our smiles where we find them. I don't even use amazon, ever, but I still found this funny.

(we are in lockdown here in Toronto, until the end of the month)

>81 jessibud2: Saw your comments on other threads, Shelley, and agree.
Our lockdown is until the 19th, but will probably be prolonged.

I think (almost) every subject can be humorised. I don't use Amazon either, but this is funny :-)

>52 jessibud2: Great review! I really need to to put that on my buy list.

>81 jessibud2: Ha! That's a good one. I signed up for my vaccine today. I should be getting the first dose next week.

>81 jessibud2: ROFLMAO I have Prime!

>82 FAMeulstee: - Thanks, Anita. Our schools have not reopened after the holidays, having this first week back completely online again. All were set to reopen on Monday but just this afternoon, it was announced that they will remain online only until at least January 25. The reasoning (increasing numbers of positive tests in our city, rising daily, as well as in kids) is understandable but it's got to be hard on parents who have to work, as well as on kids and teachers. I am grateful not to be teaching any more.

>83 figsfromthistle: - Yay for getting the vaccine soon, Anita!

>84 Caroline_McElwee: - You're good to go, then, Caroline! ;-)

I don't have Amazon, I've simply stopped buying. But there are enough parcels being delivered to other occupants of my building and I'm often the one who opens the door to the mailman. So just train the mailman, and I'm good as well. We're all getting a bit impatient I think, and wondering why it has to take so long!

You were right, Shelley, there were stacks of A Promised Land when I went back to Costco today. So I ended up with that book and maybe a couple more by the time that I left there.

>81 jessibud2: This made me laugh!

Happy Friday, Shelley - hoping it is kind to you.

>86 EllaTim: - Indeed, Ella. I think at this point, everyone can't wait.

>87 Familyhistorian: - Yay, Meg. Glad you finally found it.

>88 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie. Have to laugh when we can. Hang in there, my friend. Only a little more than a week to go...

Tonight will be the final episode of Jeopardy featuring Alex Trebek. The last of his pre-recorded shows. I can't even imagine him not being there on Monday, when Ken Jennings temporarily takes over. I already have a lump in my throat. RIP, Alex.

:-(

>38 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. I've probably said this before but Carson also likes to sit like Theo. What is it about ginger cats and that posture? LOL Oh, and... January 2 already feels like seven months ago.

>90 jessibud2: I watched last night and the little tribute at the end brought tears to my eyes.

>81 jessibud2: That IS funny!

And that you for the review of the Obama book. I am hoping to read it in a few months.

>81 jessibud2: That is funny. Thanks.

>91 EBT1002: - Theo continues to claim the prize for Most Creative Cat I have ever had. The other day, he somehow managed to land behind the shutters, between the shutters and the window, in the kitchen over the sink. I will post a pic tomorrow. It took some doing to get him out. I see no way he could have got out on his own. He was lucky I happened to walk into the kitchen to investigate the sound!

>92 banjo123: - Thanks, Rhonda. It was a wonderful read. My reading has already slowed down this week due to, um, distractions. I am hoping to finish book #2 tomorrow.

>93 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. I saw something on Jeff's (mahsdad) thread that I also thought was funny, a tweet by someone (whose name I am not familiar with, Jonathan Goldman). This is what it said: "In the end, trump cost Republicans the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. The son of a bitch actually did it. He made America great again."

I am not sure I feel ok about joking about any of what went on this week, but that tweet still made me laugh.

I love Randy Rainbow's brilliance and wit. It sure didn't take him long for this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT5kafhG3Qw&feature=youtu.be

Fabulous review of A Promised Land, Shelley!

Morning, Shelley. I hope you had a nice weekend. Are you watching and enjoying the American Horror Story? I heard it is on it's final episode and I can't wait for it to finish. Grins...It has been a tough week in the good ole' US of A.

Seeing anything interesting at your feeders?

>96 kidzdoc: - Thanks, Darryl.

>97 msf59: - Just the usual suspects: goldfinches, sparrows, red-breasted nuthatches, and the odd mourning dove below the feeder. A nuthatch flew to the brick wall the other day to try to cache the seeds from the feeder. I happened to have just come in and was inside, watching through the screen door. I snapped some photos but they aren't all that great. I am still not seeing any juncos, :-(

Edited to add cardinals, of course. ;-)

>95 jessibud2: Very good.

And now for something completely different. Because goodness knows, we need something completely different (best viewed in full screen):

Birds Can Dance

Blackboard - A Personal History of the Classroom by Lewis Buzbee (published 2014)

Buzbee is an author and a teacher. This is his personal look at education, specifically in his home state of California. Part memoir, part essay, he uses a kind of dual timeline, looking back at his own experiences in school from kindergarten through to university (all public schools, which he actually revisited to write this book, looking back at the places and spaces of his childhood through adult eyes), as well as at the parallels of school today, as his daughter makes her way through the system. He focuses a lot on the role teachers played in his life, and in general, and laments the differences from the abundances of the school classrooms of his own childhood in the late 50s, early 60s, to the terrible overcrowding and lack of resources in education today. He is candid, insightful, a bit nostalgic (but not too much) and wistful at times.

He begins with a nod to a bumper sticker he says was popular at the time (I had never seen this so I found it interesting): "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the air force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."

He ends by saying "Raise my taxes! Guarantee me that these new taxes will only go to the classroom - meaning to teachers and students directly - you can raise my taxes through the roof. Yes, raise them to Swedish levels, to *socialist* levels. The bounty and luxury that were my public education were very expensive. And they were worth every penny."

As a teacher, myself (retired now but you know, once a teacher always a teacher!), I enjoyed this book. I found it very readable and insightful. Buzbee came from a very middle class, working family, and he was an average student. And that was fine with him. Losing his dad when he was 12, he got into a fair bit of trouble in high school with drugs and such, but this wasn't unusual at the time and he acknowledges his good fortune in having teachers and mentors who helped pull him out of his downward spiral at just the right time.

Some quotes that stood out for me:

- But in elementary school, no matter how much I hated the idea of sitting in a classroom for the entire day, there was always the fact of recess, and that fact was often enough to get me out the door on a sullen morning. Recess, it seemed to me then, was the first intent of school, the teachers and classes and homework merely the outline that gave recess its bright and alluring shape.

- The field was a rough and tumble world, and I often judged the worth of my day at school by how much of the field I brought home with me - dirt stains on my elbows, grass stains on my jeans... the little flecks of gravel, grass and dirt embedded in my flesh, maybe a fresh scab or two. The field also served as a social training ground, where one might be happy to be alone among others, huddled in groups of two or three, or joined up with bigger herds.

- What appealed to me, of course, was that my locker locked, and for adolescents, secrecy is a key ingredient to a satisfying life. The novelist John Irving claims that adolescence is when we begin to keep secrets from those we most love; he gets that right. More so than my elementary school desk, my locker was my castle, and only I had the key to it (well, the combination).

- She... was no longer just my teacher, she was now my mentor. Here was an adult - a stranger, really - who took the time to take me seriously, who showed me I could, and should, move beyond myself into what I did not yet know. She was not concerned with what she taught me, the content, but with the simple idea that I cold learn to think for myself. She never once insisted on her own opinion in any of my studies, but elicited mine instead. Not what she taught but how, not what I learned but how.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In checking out Buzbee's website, I see that he has written some YA novels, and a few of them sound intriguing. I may seek them out at the library, after I get through the next load of books waiting for me to pick up this week. When it rains, it pours....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and I learned a new word in reading this book. Probably a word I should have known but just didn't:

casuistic:
▸ adjective: of or relating to the use of ethical principles to resolve moral problems

Seems a timely word to know these days....

Loved the bird dance!

>100 jessibud2: Thanks for posting this Jessie!

>100 jessibud2: That was a wonderful way to end my internetting tonight! Thanks, Shelley!

>100 jessibud2: This made my day, and it was so good to laugh and smile. Thanks for posting the link regarding birds can dance.

>95 jessibud2: Brilliant indeed!

>100 jessibud2: And so lovely!

Hi Shelley!

>94 jessibud2: "In the end, trump cost Republicans the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. The son of a bitch actually did it. He made America great again." Jonathan Goldman Sometimes joking is the only way to stay sane.

>95 jessibud2: I’ve already sent this to Bill and Jenna. I’ve also subscribed to Randy Rainbow’s YouTube channel. And the Rudy one, oh my goodness!

>100 jessibud2: Wonderful. I sent this to Jenna, too.

Hope the Owen-carrier-vet effort is successful.

Thanks, Cyrel, Ella, Linda, Linda, Chris and Karen. That was my goal, to share some joy.

>107 karenmarie: - Total fail, Karen. Again. I had to cancel Owen's apptmt. I just can't get him near that carrier. I actually placed the empty carrier in the kitchen, not far from his eating corner, a few days ago. This was 2-fold: one, to get him used to seeing it there and 2, for me, so it would be closer to him and I wouldn't have to attempt to carry him far. I tried first putting treats in his bowl, and a few in the carrier. When I tried picking him up, I got as far as the carrier door and he resisted strongly, and scratched me, drawing blood, though just a tiny bit. Then I tried to cover him with a towel, and still no luck. He is made of liquid and just slipped out and ran.

All the trust that we have built up over the last many weeks and months is gone now. He sees me and runs away.

DAMN! I could just cry.

I had even deposited Theo into the other carrier in the living room before my attempts so he wouldn't interfere as he did last time.

I phoned the vet and we are brainstorming some other ideas. There is a liquid form of gabapentin I can try, though if it is to be mixed with Owen's food, it may not be any more successful than emptying the contents of a capsule and mixing it into the food, was. There must be a smell or taste to it because he ate around it and wouldn't touch the rest of it. I did ix it in well, but he wasn't interested in it. And he is usually a good eater. Also, there is a pill pocket though I don't understand how that would work. I doubt he would swallow the capsule once he got it in his mouth. I think he would spit it out. I don't really understand how that works.

There isn't an urgent need to get him to the vet. He is up to date on his shots. I just wanted him to be microchipped and I am desperate to have his nails clipped. I usually have always done that myself, with all my other cats but since I can't pick him up at all and he has not yet felt the need to jump on my lap himself, this hasn't happened. And those claws are like razors! Oh well. Some day...maybe...

Ah, Shelley, I am so sorry. I know that the dynamic of Theo and Owen is not good and that it is stressing you terribly.

You briefly mentioned re-homing Theo some time ago. Perhaps it might be for the best since Owen is more timid. Just a thought - when we took in a cat, Dora, so she wouldn't have to go to the shelter, she did fine with us but terrorized our other kitties. Fortunately we were able to give her back to her previous owner - long story - but our kitties were immediately happier and so were we. I can imagine Theo would find a good home - perhaps as a single kitty.

I spoke to the woman who runs the cat rescue shelter and they have suddenly been hit with an order to vacate their premises. Major stress for them and lots of scrambling. I certainly can't send Theo back there now. She gave me some background re Owen. He was brought to the shelter with his mom. He was only 7 months old and had been at the shelter for nearly 2 years when I adopted him! I wish his mom had still been there as I would have adopted them together, in a heartbeat. She didn't say if the mom was adopted separately or what. She was also surprised to learn about Owen being deaf but in a busy shelter, in his own cage, they may not have had an opportunity to see it manifest.

I think it is too late for me now, re Theo. I am sure he would do well anywhere because he is so affectionate but I would worry that he would really need a home where they have lots of patience and energy. I would hate for someone to lose patience and punish him. Plus, I am stuck on him already. I am hoping that as he gets older, the aggression will diminish. Sigh... I will keep my eyes and ears open. I will also ask my vet if she has any ideas.

>101 jessibud2: Casuistry is generally used pejoratively, so I hope that was clear from context. Like the GOP Representatives calling for healing...applying a generally accepted-as-valid moral principle to salve their wildly inflamed consciences is casuistic codswallop.

>111 richardderus: I love the word 'codswallop' myself, thanks Richard.

>81 jessibud2: My family would be top on the list of vaccinations as we order Amazon so much! I refuse to go to any stores right now and anything I need is either grocery pick up or delivery!

Is the stay at home order going to affect you at all?

>112 Caroline_McElwee: It's a wonderful word, isn't it? Why don't more people use it?

>111 richardderus: - Let me know when the Richard Dictionary is officially out, I will need a copy asap! :-) Thanks!

>112 Caroline_McElwee: - Agreed!

>113 ChelleBearss: - Probably not much, Chelle. I live alone, don't have a dog to walk, and can easily manage not to have to go to any store for a week or more. I did a grocery shop today and had a couple of medical appointment today. I shouldn't need to go anywhere for awhile.

Truth is, I have only 2 friends who have been my *bubble* since March. They are also singles so we have got together on occasion. I am not a highly social person so in some ways, this is kind of my default and I guess, in a weird way, that has worked for me. I don't feel the isolation or depression in the way that so many others do. Where I feel it most is not being able to travel to Montreal to visit my mum, who lives in an assisted living place. They have just had a serious restriction put in place there, and are now restricted to their apartments, with all meals being brought to them. Theirs was the very first of the seniors places in Montreal to have covid cases in March (I think their total was 9, with 5 deaths, something like that) and they went into strict protocol right away and have not had a single case since then. Even now, not one single case, among residents or staff. And the staff there are all truly great. But it's hard on her and I just try to speak to her every day if I can.

>114 richardderus: - More people will need that dictionary I spoke of, Richard... ;-)

Just wanted to drop by and say hello!

>115 jessibud2: I have been sticking to my bubble since spring so these new stay at home orders will not be as bad for me. I am also getting the covid-19 vaccine today. I decided to get it over and done with as I am sure my place of employment will make it mandatory soon.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

>115 jessibud2: I can understand the sadness about not being able to travel to visit your mom. Mine lives only 30 minutes away but with her health problems we can't risk visiting. We have been doing some video chatting and lots of emails.

The nursing home in my town had a massive outbreak. It's so sad. 11 dead and 125 staff and residents infected.

>117 ChelleBearss: - And did you hear that idiot so-called Minister of Long Term Care, on Global new the other night? She said in an interview (which I was watching live, and yelling at the tv): "there is not one single long term care home in the province that is in crisis for staffing". That one place alone, in Scarborough, Tender Care, has so many staff who are down with covid.

Her name is Merrliee Fullerton and she needs to be tossed out on her ass asap. Geez. Is she living on another planet? I am surprised other networks didn't pick up on that and splash it all over social media:

https://globalnews.ca/news/7553334/ontario-long-term-care-homes-covid19-outbreak...

Unbelievable. Seems to me that they have learned NO lessons from the first wave, not the *so many* she claims.

>118 jessibud2: Wow, that's so incorrect eh! This one place in town has over 40 staff infected and 80 of the 92 residents infected. I don't know how many staff they have but I would stay having 40 infected would be a dent to their workforce!

>116 figsfromthistle: - I think I missed you up there, Anita. Good for you for being proactive and getting your shot! I am sure my turn won't happen for some time. The Ford government seems as unclear and wishy washy about this as they are about just about everything else these days. I am not holding my breath. I just try to stick close to home and my bubble and follow the rules.

Well. New lows are reached aren't they, and with very depressing regularity.

ETA size

>121 richardderus: - What am I looking at here, Richard? I think I should be *getting it* but I am not. (she admits, sheepishly)

Oh, just Melania Trump's assistant removing a bronze bust of Lincoln from the White House into a moving van (at least she's wearing a mask).

>123 richardderus: - HA! What would Melania (or anyone in that family) want a bust of him for? Certainly it can't be out of reverence that she covets it... ;-)

I hate being the voice of reason here, since I loathe that family with the power of a thousand suns, but people are allowed to bring personal items into their offices, and this person is likely just cleaning things out in anticipation of their last (yay!) day. The permanent White House staff keeps a strict inventory of every item, so no one is going to walk off with stuff like that :-P

Warning, rant ahead.

If anyone here has or uses paypal, I want to encourage you to stop doing so. They cannot be trusted.

I am a dinosaur when it comes to online shopping. Except for books, I almost never do any online shopping. Never. I made one exception in October. Long story short, the site I thought I was ordering from was scammed and the scammer somehow got hold of all my personal info, name, address, even phone number, and credit card info from paypal. I found this out after trying to contact the site when I realized the item I purchased had not arrived. The site had a big warning to all customers about the scam.

I filed a claim at paypal (site owner suggested this), and at first, all seemed ok. They were messaging me and communicating. The scammers were from China, as a Chinese merchant name and info showed on my statement in Chinese letters. I should have had my claim resolved by early December (money refunded; it was under $30, so really not that big a deal. The theft of my personal info was a bigger deal). Then, suddenly, paypal is no longer communicating, not answering my messages when I try to contact them.

Then, on my December VISA card statement, I see a $200 charge, through paypal that I know I did not make. I contacted VISA. They were able to tell me that the payment was to a hotel in Montreal (not any I know and not the one I usually stay at when I visit my mother). This is how I know it was a fraud. We are in lockdown here. I have not been in Montreal since the summer. A claim was filed, my card was immediately cancelled and I now have a new card. The person I spoke to at VISA told me that there have been other issues with paypal.

I have just spent the last hour or more, trying to cancel my paypal account. I was somehow able to delete my (now defunct) card but the instructions on the site that supposedly tell me how to delete my name, address, etc, simply don't work. The delete this account button also doesn't work. Even the button to send a message to the Help department, isn't working. I managed to find a phone number but as you may guess, there are no humans who work the phones at paypal.

This exercise in futility is aggravating me. I feel obliged to warn people away from paypal, which in itself may be guilty of some sort of scamming. For part of their site not to be working, for being unable to contact anyone or delete any of my own info, it just all stinks to me. I wish I knew how to report this to somewhere that might actually do something about it.

Contacting every place that I have automatic credit card payments, including all of the accounts I pay for my mother, has taken up much of this week. I swear, this does not do a lot for my confidence in this sort of technology. Except for perhaps the odd book, which I truly don't *need* to purchase, I can't seem myself trusting online shopping any time soon. I sometimes feel I would be better off keeping my money under my mattress and just paying cash for everything.

I know most humans do online shopping and have no problems. I guess I have always marched to my own drum and unfortunately, my skepticism seems to be warranted, and reinforced, at least for me.

End of rant. Sorry. And please, be careful out there!

>126 jessibud2: Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience Shelley. And the time it takes to set things straight is galling. I definitely try to be careful. PayPal have definitely got some issues, someone gave me the wrong email address to make a payment too, and I was never able to get the money back on his behalf via any of their systems, and it is impossible to speak with anyone (Amazon makes it hard too, though when I have got through to them they have speedily resolved the issue). That said I have been using PayPal successfully for some years.

>127 Caroline_McElwee: - Thanks, Caroline. I have also used paypal for years though not frequently. This is the first time I have had any need to even try to contact them and to have 2 scam issues (I am quite convinced they are connected) so close together, and then, the ensuing problems. Well, that's enough for me. Too much, to be honest. And the fact that the person from VISA told me she has encountered this, with paypal, from a number of customers, well, that convinces me that all is not right. Maybe the site was good in the early years, but something has changed and in this last year, from my experience, it just can't be trusted. I should have a resolution to the fraud claim I filed at VISA, by the end of this month. Hopefully, I will get that $200 back. It really creeps me out, though, that some scammer in China has my full name, address and phone number.

>126 jessibud2: I stopped using them after a bad screw-up at the Science Fiction Book Club...they didn't claim a payment I made within 28 days, PayPal put it in a "suspense" account, then refused to release it to me OR them...and can well believe your story.

I detest the capitalist's sense of entitlement...we're here to give them money, then they consider how hard to screw us in return.

Hi Shelley!

I'm sorry about the problems with PayPal. I don't use it and rarely buy anything from anybody but Amazon. Amazon has always been good to me and even though it usually takes a while to get hold of a human, almost every human I've ever spoken with there has been knowledgeable and helpful.

>128 jessibud2: Cynic that I am, It really creeps me out, though, that some scammer in China has my full name, address and phone number. they probably already had it.

>129 richardderus: - Yup

>130 karenmarie: - Yeah, that thought had crossed my mind, as well. Ick.

I seem to have developed tennis elbow. I had this once before, according to the files at my physio's office, in 2003. It hurts like hell and the worst is that it's my left arm. I am a lefty. Since I don't now, and have never, played tennis, it's most likely from increased computer time these last many months. I am icing and stretching but that isn't helping much. I will have to go back to physio next week, no doubt. So, maybe this is a good time to do laundry, tidy up a bit and just sit and read more, and take a break (well, somewhat) from the computer. I just love getting older.

Not.

Hiya, Shelley.

Sorry to hear about the tennis elbow. I got that years ago, and they tried PT for it, which did no good at all. It included electrical stimulation. I'm a righty, and it was the right elbow (and yes, I actually did play a lot of tennis as a kid). The only thing that helped back then was a lot of rest - annoying to have to do that, but it did work eventually. They may have more they can do these days.

Isn't amazing, Shelley, how the last 2 U.S. presidents represent the best and the worst that this country can produce? I love Kathy's comment up there. It is amazing. I also think it directly reflects the battle between the future and white supremacists trying to hang onto power. Biden is the perfect, calm transition President - he's putting lots of women and POC and people of differing sexual backgrounds (I'm not as sure about the last, but I think he is) in positions of power in his administration, and he is committed to battling systemic racism and other social and economic problems plaguing us. I'm hoping it all works to set up a successful run for the Presidency by Kamala in 2024, as he'll be pretty darn old by then.

I am sorry about the scams, Shelley. My husband and I both use PayPal quite frequently -- he orders watch parts from Hong Kong, and it's pretty much his only payment option. I've long trusted it for on-line transactions with vendors I don't know, since I didn't have to give out my information to them. We have one credit card we use for nothing else, so if it goes haywire, at least it limits how much we have to rearrange automatic payments, etc. Your experience will serve as a warning for us to be extra vigilant.

sorry about PayPal- I don't use it although many of the places that I use ( lecture series)- do-

Sorry for the paypal difficulties! The digital world is a mixed blessing at times.

Hopefully Theo calms down and Owen learns to trust. We are able to get gabapentin into our bad cat with pill pockets, but I imagine you have tried that? Our Francis is high energy, and can get aggressive; but we love him to bits; and he is very loving, when he wants to be.

>133 jnwelch: - Hi Joe, yes, it hurts like hell. My physio did electrical stimulation as well as other stuff. I am supposed to ice it (I hate that, in winter!) and do stretches 3 times a day. I will go back next week for a few more sessions. At least the trouble I had with my knee last month (meniscus) seems gone for now. At least not all my seams are coming apart at the same time! Ain't growing old fun?

I want so much to be optimistic for the new administration, but I am really so nervous to get through this week. I have had to stop watching CNN because it's just too scary. Fingers, and everything, crossed. In my gut, I feel Biden and Harris can do so much good, on so many levels, if just given a chance. But there just seem to be too many deranged people out there. How to contain them?

>134 laytonwoman3rd: - Linda, I have only one credit card and that is by choice. I have also used paypal for years but in the past year, it seems to have all gone sideways. I have had several phony scam notices to my email telling me my paypal account is suspended when it isn't, and these look like they come from paypal (official looking logo) but when you ouse over the sender, a total foreign and bogus email addy appears. I have reported them every time, for all the good it does (none). I am just freaked at all this happening to me. If I could pay everything by cheque, or cash, I would. I don't trust online payments at all and only do so when I have no other option. Yes, I am a dinosaur but sadly, my mistrust seems to be validated.

>135 torontoc: - Thanks, Cyrel. I sure won't be using it any more.

>136 banjo123: - Mixed blessing, indeed, Rhonda. Owen is getting better though the problem I had is that he simply isn't ready yet for me to pick him up. He may never be a lap cat and that is fine. My Mia (avatar pic) never was until her senior years and then, only on her terms, when she wanted to. I did try the gabapentin with Owen and I am convinced there must be a smell or taste because even though I mixed it into his food well, he ate around it. The vet did suggest pill pockets and I guess that will be my next attempt.

I'm really sorry about your Paypal issues! I don't use it. But I have heard that the amount of digital crime and scamming is going up fast. I think they should at least answer you when you make a complaint!

>137 jessibud2: Healing vibes sent by the plane load from here.

I do think that the stars have aligned a little for Uncle Joe and Kamala Harris in that the previous fellow was simply so bad that they have most people's (other than the crazies) goodwill and the legislature is such that much of their program has a fair chance of being implemented.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Hi Shelley.

>132 jessibud2: Sorry about the tennis elbow. I wonder how many people are having tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other increased computer time-related issues because of Covid? I had tennis elbow quite a few years ago (don’t even actually remember when), and remember that what I see is called “Counterforce orthosis” seemed to help. It's an adjustable band you wrap around your lower arm near the elbow.

>138 EllaTim: - I think you are right about digital and cyber crime, Ella. And initially, they did respond when I filed my first claim when I got scammed. Then, after time had passed and it was supposed to have been resolved, they just went silent and did not respond to my further questions. I am writing it off as a bad experience and have, as best I could, closed my account. I hope.

>139 PaulCranswick: - Hi, Paul. Thanks for the healing vibes. And I hope you are right re our neighbours to the south.

>140 karenmarie: - I haven't heard that particular term, Karen, counterforce orthosis, but come to think of it, I do have something like that. I will now go see if I can find it and if so, I will put it on and hope for the best, until my next physio appointment.

Techy question for anyone with more computer smarts than I have (ie, anyone and everyone):

How do I create a document, with photos inserted at specific points, such that I can send a link to it and it can be viewed, say, as a slideshow?

I created a little fun thing and did so in a Word document. I want to insert photos, and the first one succeeded, but the second one was huge and I can't seem to change that or even delete it. This is how it happens with me. I try something, think I know what I am doing, succeed a little bit and say, yay me. Then something goes screwy and I have hit a wall, and don't know how to proceed.

Sorry to hear about the Pay Pal issues. I use it infrequently and after your post I'll be more careful in future. I hope your elbow is on the mend and your boys are getting along better.

Morning, Shelley. There was a bit of activity at the feeders yesterday and the cardinals and house sparrows stopped by regularly. I hope you had a good weekend and got some reading in.

>143 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg. Thanks, re the elbow and boys. I will have another physio apptmt this week. As for the boys not so easily resolved. Working on it, but Theo is more creative in his mischief than I bargained for. Photos will follow, eventually...

>144 msf59: - Hi Mark. I have not had any juncos here at all this year (and very few last year, if I recall). :-( . I still enjoy my regulars, goldfinches and nuthatches, even the sparrows, but no juncos. I miss them. We also have zero snow right now. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

>145 jessibud2: Ah, well sometimes taking time to resolve the mischief issue is the best remedy, Shelley. They do seem to gradually outgrow it.

Regarding your Paypal issues. I would suggest turning two-factor authentication on. Its slightly painful, it means that you get request thru an app on your phone, everytime you (or someone else) logs onto your account. You have to accept the request and it sends a special code to PP that tells them its you, or you don't have to accept it, and then you know someone's trying to get into your account. If not that, make your password very long and complicated.

In fact, I'd recommend using a Password Manager, like Lastpass that will keep track of your passwords and let you generate narly passwords that are nearly impossible to crack. I generally use 20 ch long passwords.

For instance mG!o1*o*1hk*AQxjKvnq, would take 3.2 (followed by 22 zeros) years to crack.

But 4q#1wEd% would only take 24 days.

And your birthday or anniversary would take less than a second.

All that long winded diatribe being said, its still very easy to get caught. You have to be skeptical of everything. In fact, I just logged into Paypal, and it immediately came up with a generic page telling me that there was suspecious activity and I needed to change my password to get in. I took extra precautions to make sure I didn't slightly mistype the address and it truly was PayPal. Very weird.

Good luck.

As far as your slideshow is concerned, Word can definitely be a big pain in the disk space. I'll ponder it a bit and see if I can find a better solution for you.

>146 Familyhistorian: - Well, Meg, *some time* seems like it will be awhile. ;-)

>147 mahsdad: - You are freaking me out, Jeff. I did manage to delete the actual credit card number from my profile on paypal but nothing else. I sent them an email that I cancelled my card and am cancelling my paypal account and I let them know I was extremely disappointed in them. As if they care, I know. At least VISA credited back the most recent $200 to my account and that claim is considered resolved.

As for the slideshow, a friend suggested trying powerpoint. I once knew how to do that, for school when I was still teaching but it's been many years and I think I am just too lazy right now to start again to relearn it. I will probably just post my little poem here and insert pics.

Meantime, here is yesterday's adventure, the latest installment in the Shelley vs Theo saga. A little background. He has been exploring, as usual, and discovered that if he jumps up on top of the shutter doors over the kitchen sink, he can get behind them and sit and look outside. However, he was unable to get back out. I had some good laughs until I realized that i needed to do something to try to prevent it. I didn't want him to break my stained glass in any attempt to get out.


I had heard that putting sheets of tin foil on the counter is a deterrent as they don't like the crinkling under their feet. Theo just pushed them off the counter, though, onto the floor and played with them. Of course he did. As an afterthought, I placed a few pieces of the foil on top of the shutter doors and one in between the door and the window. You can see how well that worked.


Then, Theo finally figured out a way to escape. Of course he did. I have finally removed and safely put away my stained glass because he pushes the right door open to get out and he seemed a little too interested in it for my liking. Damn cat.


My handyman and I came up with a solution, though. A plexiglass plank, angled back from the top of the shutter doors, and drilled into place to secure it, to prevent Theo from jumping up and getting a foothold on the top of the door.


On this same day, I purchased a new window seat for Theo, for the other window in the kitchen, hoping it would appeal to him and give him a permissible place to hang out, and frankly, a much better view, considering it's directly opposite the tree where the bird feeder hangs and the squirrels frolic.



He did. He liked it. But he apparently prefers the forbidden one, over the kitchen sink. Not an hour after my handyman left, I thought it was a bit too quiet. I went downstairs, fully expecting Theo to be enjoying his new window perch. I was wrong. The plexiglass was still in place, still firm and securely fastened. I have no idea how he got in, except through the slats, which technically should not be possible. They are not wide slats, and he is a big boy. I give up.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My work here is done. I know who is boss. Pity he can't pay the bills....

>148 jessibud2: Theo is so.... naughty. I did laugh. But if you ever thought you were boss over a cat Shelley.... time for counselling.

>149 Caroline_McElwee: - You are right, Caroline, but I must have lived a charmed life, with all my previous cats. None that I can recall, have ever given me such a run for my money, so to speak. In some ways it's like the proverbial herding cats. Except Theo is a whole herd, all by himself.

I'm sorry I freaked you out. You probably don't have to be as crazy as I am, but its good to be deligent with your passwords and don't use easy ones. Unfortunately its a fact of life in today's internet.

And by the way, love the pictures of Theo. He is the king of his domain. Penny and Luna were never big vertical explorers. We do have a window sill in the Living Room and our Bedroom that they like to perch on, but not too much in the kitchen.

>151 mahsdad: - Just kidding, Jeff. I am one of the original skeptics, never trusted much of anything and barely do online shopping, ever (except for books), and except for Theo's new window perch yesterday. Ordered it online, picked it up curbside 2 hours later. But yes, I do try to keep my passwords obscure and not obvious. Still, as you say, that's life these days, isn't it?

Theo is definitely King of the Hill around here. None of my previous cats ever challenged me in this way. I have had to remove and put away pretty much everything I had hanging, including a set of windchimes made from old spoons and forks that hung on that hook you see in one of the photos up there. He discovered the pretty noise they made when he batted at them. He discovered this in the middle of the night, of course. I had other windchimes and other hanging things, including several plants that none of my other cats ever bothered with. All gone now....

By the way here is a pic of my late great Lexi, the one that reminded me of your Luna:

Hi Shelley my dear, i hope all is well with you and the Kitties and that you are having a good start to the weekend. Sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>152 jessibud2: Cats really challenge more than dogs do, I find. Our pup has already been so easy going and happy for any and all affection, the cat has destroyed our house. Shredded a leather bench with his claws and my curtains are garbage now. Hoping he grows out of it before I start replacing things

>153 johnsimpson: - Hi John. We re trying, ;-) Wishing you both a good weekend, too.

>154 ChelleBearss: - We had a dog growing up. Got him at 6 weeks of age and I don't ever remember behavioural issues. But you are right, it sure is easier to *train* a dog than a cat! All 4 of my previous cats were actually also pretty good and did not destroy my house. I have always had plants, for example and as long as they were high up, no problems, even when they (the cats) were young enough to be interested. Once they got old and arthritic, jumping was a non-issue. The first 2 came to me as 6-week old littermates, and the last 2 were 2 and 3 years old when I adopted them. Theo is my first *problem child*.

I am also more of a dog person than a cat lover. Having said that we still have two cats at home but they treat me with utter disdain safe in the knowledge that despite being the mug who pays for their food and litter they do not need to even pretend the slightest affection or even recognition as the daughter calls the shots.

>156 PaulCranswick: They *know*, Paul, they know. I have a great little cartoon that I have on my fridge door that I wanted to put here but for some reason, it isn't uploading properly. I will keep trying and if I succeed, I will edit it in.

Shelley, I'm laughing a little bit about the cat shenanigans. I siuspect he just went right over the top of the slanted plexiglass piece because he could fit between it and the window.

Perhaps to lighten your mood, you'll enjoy the Story-in-titles- via the bookshelf arrangement ~ I fixed up an alternate view of my topper image and you can at least read the title list, if you like. I did note that you mentioned not being able to see the books well-enough.

>158 SandyAMcPherson: - Hi Sandy. That story-in-titles is funny! Thanks!

Tuesday is senior's discount day (last Tues of the month) at my local pet food store. So I placed my order over the phone and since it hadn't really started snowing yet (they predicted a lot of snow here today), I drove the 10 minutes to pick it up and pay at their door. By the time I got there, it had begun to come down more heavily. By the time I was driving home (thankfully, almost the only car on the road!), it was whiteout conditions with visibility of maybe 2 or 3 car lengths, maximum. I am a real weather wimp at the best of times and I HATE driving in snow storms. But I am home safely now, order put away and can enjoy the pretty snow from this side of my window, all cozy and warm inside.

I hope those boys appreciate me!

>160 jessibud2: Enjoy your snow, Shelley, from inside where the Weather Goddess intended us to be when it's snowing.

>161 richardderus: RD got *that* right, for sure!

Hi Shelley!

>148 jessibud2: What a great series of pics. I can’t help but laugh, especially at the silhouetted Theo in the last pic. He’s definitely winning right now.

>160 jessibud2: Glad you made it back safe and sound.

Mordecai and Me - Joel Yanofsky:

Though I'm not a big fan of Richler, this was a really interesting and fun read. As the cover blurb describes it, it *starts out as a literary appreciation and turns into a literary stalking, propelled as much by envy as admiration, irreverence as affection, confession as critical judgment...it's a funny, intimate, gossipy book about the writing life, writers, and one great writer in particular."

Author Joel Yanofsky is indeed funny, witty and at times, irreverent but this isn't just a fluff book. He is quite insightful and pretty smart. He is also candid about himself, on many levels and that comes through, interspersed throughout the narrative. I quite enjoyed this book.

And why and how did I come to read this? One of those *six degrees of separation* incidents. A little background: I subscribe to the Montreal Gazette, the English language daily newspaper, for my mother, hard copy delivered to her. The subscription entitles me to the online edition as well so I get a daily email from the Gazette. A few weeks ago, I noticed a long, lovely obit for author Joel Yanofsky. He grew up a couple of streets over from where I grew up and although I didn't know him personally at the time (he was 2 years younger than me and 2 years older than my brother and you know how those age differences matter when you are in school), he was a neighbour of a close friend of mine, so I knew who he was. He was known back then as Joey. It was good to see that he grew up to become quite a success in his chosen career. He was a book reviewer, literary journalist, author and he taught writing at Concordia University. On a whim, I checked my local library to see if they had any of his books and I found 2, this one and a memoir about his life as a father of an autistic son. That's the next one up in the pile of library books on my kitchen table. He died at age 65, far too young.

Edited to say that it was also fun to see the occasional mention of places familiar to me from childhood. The name of our suburb, school, and even a small meeting between a local opthamologist and Richler (Yanofsky and I shared the same opthamologist! The good doctor also passed away not too long ago so it was lovely to see him mentioned here). It was almost like recognizing familiar landmarks in a movie filmed in your home town.

161 - Yes, indeed, Richard! It has tapered off to barely anything at the moment but if I hadn't gone out early, when I did, I would not have gone out at all today.

>162 SandyAMcPherson: - Yep!

>163 karenmarie: - Hi Karen. He has been an angel on my bed, asleep all afternoon. :-)

>148 jessibud2: I LOVE that story with pictures!!!!! Maybe you should have named him Houdini? No, Theo is just right but he does seem to have some magical abilities.

I also love the picture of sweet Lexi. She has that elder cat statesperson look like my Abby had in her final few years. So sweet.

>165 jessibud2: "He has been an angel on my bed, asleep all afternoon."
He has to rest up for evening shenanigans!!!!

Shelley I love all the kitchen pictures with your very mischievous new boy! Sounds like he's keeping you hopping!

>166 EBT1002: - Yes, you are not the first one, Ellen, to suggest the name Houdini! lol And Lexi WAS a sweetie. That stray whisker from her eyebrow always made me laugh, too. She was the ultimate cuddly lap cat. She would have been 21 this month.

>167 mdoris: - Thanks, Mary. Slowly but surely, things have been getting put away or removed. Plants, windchimes, stained glass, and more. It's just as well we are in lockdown and I don't have to worry about out of town overnight guests any time soon because my guest room is pretty much a catch-all for everything, at the moment!

Theo seems to be quite the curious cat! I'm sure he will enjoy that window seat :)

Well, Theo is bad, but he is very cute.

>148 jessibud2: Shelley, I loved reading about Theo's adventures! Clever, clever kitty. Thanks so much for sharing and for the photos!!

>148 jessibud2: Love this top photo of Theo!

Morning, Shelley. Do you get much snow, with this last storm that came through? We got a few inches of heavy wet snow but it was not as bad as predicted. Sorry, about your lack of juncos. I wonder if they have migrated further south, these past 2 years?

>169 figsfromthistle: - I think he will enjoy it, Anita. I have actually caught him on it a few times, without any prompting from me. And so far, no further antics behind the shutters!

>170 banjo123: - Rhonda, being cute and cuddly are his saving graces, believe me. And I remind him of that regularly.

>171 Crazymamie: - I could write a book, Mamie.....

>172 msf59: - We did get a fair bit (for Toronto). I went out to shovel the driveway last night. It was GORGEOUS out there! By evening, snow had stopped falling, there was almost no wind at all, and it wasn't even that cold. The snow was light and fluffy and everything was quiet and sparkly, my ideal shoveling conditions. It reminds me of my childhood. I loved shoveling at night.

And I did a good job, too! :-)

>148 jessibud2: Love the Adventures of Theo...I'm looking at those slats, and knowing some of the places my Molly squeezes into, I bet he did fit through there. Of course, we all know cats have their own dimension they disappear into at will, and can probably pass through solid objects when we aren't looking...

>174 laytonwoman3rd: - :-). He hasn't attempted it again, Linda, so who knows, maybe I actually won a round, here....

A little update on my paypal issue. Back in November, I opened a fraud claim with them after I had been scammed through an online purchase I had made the month or so before that. At first, they communicated back and forth with me then all communication went silent. They weren't responding to my messages at all. In Dec, my visa credit card was compromised (also through paypal and I personally believe there is a connection) ) and I cancelled it immediately and informed paypal that I had cancelled my credit card and was cancelling my paypal account, effective immediately.

VISA processed my fraud claim and within 2 weeks, my account had been credited with the missing money ($200) and a new credit card was issued to me. I had still not had a word from paypal and that's why I posted my warning way up in my thread here.

And then, today, I received this in an email:

Case closed in your favour
We reviewed the case you filed on November 18, 2020 and have decided in your favour.
We've issued a refund of $25.97 USD to you. It may take up to 5 days for this refund to be reflected in your PayPal account or bank. If you paid using a credit or debit card, the money will be refunded to your card. Depending on your card issuer, it can take up to 30 days for the refund to appear on your card statement.

Too little, too late, I think. I won't receive the money, obviously, because there is no longer a valid card for them to credit. Thank goodness it was such a small amount. Part of me wants to respond to them and tell them what I think of their shoddy site and useless customer service. Part of me wants to just delete the email and move on. I will likely do the latter.

Terrific interview with the guy who was the audio producer and director of Barack Obama's audiobook narration:

https://lithub.com/recording-a-promised-land-with-barack-obama/

And look what else is in that insert! Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris, author and illustrator of The Lost Words!

>176 jessibud2: I'd delete and move on as well, Shelley, so sorry this has been such a crummy experience.

>178 richardderus: - Hi Richard. Another attempted scam on my old credit card, a few days ago. This time for $500+. Stupidly, the scammers sent me a bogus invoice via email (so they have my email addy, now, too. It was ostensibly for VIA Rail, Canada's train system. I knew immediately it was bogus because first of all, there was no VIA letterhead or insignia, and also because VIA doesn't send invoices. Also, thankfully, it was made on my old, now cancelled, credit card. I called VIA just to make sure, and also called Visa, just to let them know. So, no money actually lost this time but they are still actively trying. Grrr.

And on Friday, my mother fell in her apartment and was taken to the hospital, where she remains. I am hoping to speak to the doctor today to find out what's going on. Doctors are apparently scarce on the weekend and the nurses won't/can't give me any medical info. It's frustrating but nothing to be done but wait. There is no point in my going to Montreal at this point since I wouldn't be be allowed into the hospital (or her home, if they release her which is unlikely in the immediate future). Everyone is on lockdown these days, both in Montreal and here in Toronto. And petty as it sounds, the timing is just as well. I still haven't succeeded in getting Owen into his carrier so it will be difficult to transport them to the vet's for boarding. Anyhow, it's all moot so far. Sorry, Richard, I know that last bit was TMI for you. ;-)

Sorry to hear about the scam and your mother's fall.

OH Shelley, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. That is so worrisome for you. Thinking of you!

Terrible news re: Mother. I'm so sad with you to be stuck far from her and unable to monitor progress on a regular in-person visit.

I'm so sorry about your mother's fall, Shelley. I hope you are able to at least speak to her from time to time. That business of not being able to get any information from the hospital on weekends is horrid.

Thanks, Cyrel, Mary, Richard, and Linda. A doctor did call me back, finally and answered all my questions, so that was good. Nothing was broken in her fall, which was the main concern. She was actually sitting on her bed, and reached out her leg to reach her slipper, and slipped off the bed, I guess bruising her back on the way down. She is weak now and sore but no breaks is good news. They will start physiotherapy as soon as she can tolerate being on her feet. She is 87, and this is just the thing I had hoped to avoid, especially now during covid. But one day at a time, I guess that's all we can do. I do speak to her on the phone daily, sometimes a few times. She is pretty easy-going and not a complainer so everyone likes her. I'm sure that helps. :-)

" she is pretty easy-going and not a complainer " Having been through long distance hospitalizations with two family members (one who was easy-going, and one who wasn't) I can tell you that that absolutely helps.

>185 laytonwoman3rd: - :-). I wish I had inherited more of that personality trait, myself. I am not a loud person, and am always polite, but I have been known to *complain*.... ;-)

>179 jessibud2: Sorry to read they tried to scam you again, Shelley. Good the credit card was already cancelled.
Sorry about your mother, >184 jessibud2: Glad you were called back and nothing was broken.

Ouch, having fallen myself last year, I empathise with your mom Shelley, and at her age it is so much more concerning. Glad you finally got the full story from the docs, and can talk with her at least, while she recovers.

Bah re the fraudsters.

>179 jessibud2: and >184 jessibud2: Glad to hear your mom is okay. Scary! I hope the physio is helpful.

Sorry about your mother's fall! So glad she didn't break anything though!

>187 FAMeulstee:, >188 Caroline_McElwee:, >189 justchris:, >190 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, all. She was sitting up in a chair today when I spoke to her but can't transfer or walk without help so I don't think she'll be released this week, for sure. And to be truthful, I am happy about that (and I believe she is, too) because I know she is being watched and monitored 24/7 and help is a call-button away. Once she is released to go home, I will likely have to hire extra help for her, which I don't object to, but I am not sure how easy that will be, with covid restrictions. Anyhow, one day at a time.

And now for something completely different. Because, why not. Let's disrupt the Groundhog Day syndrome, today and every day.

I dare you to sit still while watching this! Such fun!

https://1funny.com/movie-stars-dancing-to-im-so-excited/?fbclid=IwAR14G1JvtOUti2...

Hi Shelley, just catching up on your news.
I'm sad that your Mom is in hospital and also that she has such a frail constitution. How difficult to be unable to access her directly/in person.

I also feel for you greatly with the Credit card scams. I refuse to use pay pal, especially. It sure seems to be an insecure system, since you are the third person I've heard of this past month or so, having such a problem.

What was really disturbing was the access one acquaintance had with Pay Pal reversing an Etsy payment from her bank account. There was a fraudulent claim that a purchaser filed as not receiving an item, but the parcel tracking number showed it was delivered. Since it was a Flex address at a receiving post office, clearly PayPal did nothing to determine the legitimacy of the refund claim.

Good luck with the cat-aversion to the carrier. Have you tried putting fresh cat nip leaves inside it? Our neighbour did that and just left the door open a few times to accustom her kitty to the idea.

>193 SandyAMcPherson: - Thanks, Sandy. One good thing, that, despite everything else going on, including her dementia, she still has a sense of humour. When I called this morning and asked her what's doing, she said, "I'm dancing". Still, she sounds weak to me, or just tired. I think I'll try to connect with the doctor again later and ask about physio and any updates. Clearly, they are not initiating communication with me. I do appreciate that they are busy, but still...

As for the scams, I guess that up to this point in my life, I have just had dumb luck. I am tempted now to cancel a few online subscriptions and see if other places (things I pay for my mum, such as pharmacy bills) would accept payment in cheque form. Some places still do that, believe it or not. The less I can have attached to my credit card, the better, as far as I'm concerned. It's just more stress I don't need or want in my life right now. In that sense, it feels like 2020 hasn't actually ended. I heard someone say the other day that it just feels like March 304th, 2020 (or whatever the math works out to).

In other news, my reading is somewhat in the dumps so far. I only read 3 books in January. I'm trying but it's just hard to concentrate these days. And the library books keep coming....

As for Owen, I feel utterly defeated by 8 pounds of fur and razer-sharp claws. I will persist but I would really like to overcome this particular problem before I *have* to go to Montreal, so it won't be a monumental struggle if I have to take them to the vet for boarding. I do leave both carriers open and out, and they have both been in them to snooze, casually. Just not when I need them to be, if you get my drift. Owen isn't easily lured by food or anything, either. Of course he's not.

>192 jessibud2: Loved it.

>194 jessibud2: I'm sorry to read of the ongoing issue with your "8 pounds of fur and razor-sharp claws." I hope someone somewhere has a solution for you! It could turn problematic if Mother needs you there when you can travel again, so here's to hoping it gets solved.

>195 Caroline_McElwee: - Thanks, Caroline. It really is well done, isn't it?

>196 richardderus: - Thanks, Richard. That is precisely my fear. I tried again this morning and narrowly avoided getting my face slashed. I don't know what trauma the poor thing had in his previous life but he is both very smart and extremely fast. And determined that he will have his way. We have made so much progress in other ways. He lets me brush him, which he seems to like, and I did that this morning, hoping to butter him up a bit. He's no fool. But yes, the need to board him when the time comes for me to have to go to Montreal, is a big worry. And in almost 40 years of having cats, it's a problem I have never once been faced with.

The calming meds aren't working, either.

Hi, Shelley. I love the photo-illustrated battle with Theo! How did he manage it with the plexiglas in place?! What a great mystery. I don't know if you remember our daughter's miniature poodle-mix dog Sherlock, but he was a wily one. Things stored on high kept ending up on the floor, and we still don't know how he did it. We did solve one mystery of how he got through gates we put up to keep him out - he learned to put his nose in the small opening, and push his skinny self through. He was mortified when we caught him, but, it seemed to me, somewhat proud.

Sorry to hear about your mother. The decline late in life is hard, and the dementia. I probably mentioned that, toward the end, my dad said to me, "Now you get to be the parent, and I'm the child." True words.

>197 jessibud2: Hi Shelley.we had a friend who worked at a vet, and at a pet asylum. He was able to get any cat into a cage when needed. Wearing cat-proof gloves of course. So maybe your vet has someone like that who would be willing to help out, if really needed?

My brother hired a " cat sitter" when he went away- the person would come in once a day to check food, litter box and theoretically play with the cat. I went over unexpectedly ( no electricity at my place- long story)and the cat -who had always ignored me, became my new best friend.

>198 jnwelch: - Hi, Joe. Yes, Theo is Mr. Personality. Catitude, I think they call it. I will definitely board him at the vet's when I have to go away. I wouldn't trust him not to trash the place if I am gone. On the other hand I may have to get someone to come in to feed and care for Owen. He is another story altogether.

And yes, the issues with my mum are difficult. It's harder being so far away but so far, she is in the best place. At least in the hospital, there are eyes and care 24/7. Turns out, I found out today, she actually does have a compression fracture. Why I was initially told differently a few days ago, I am not sure. No matter. We have to deal with what we know now. She is getting stronger pain med and has been seen by a physiotherapist daily. At least I made progress today in talking to a few of those caring for her. that has been another frustration, connecting with those who can give me actual answers.

>199 EllaTim: - Hi Ella. I think my vet does make house calls in certain situations. Just not during covid, apparently. I will have to talk to her again next week.

>200 torontoc: - Oh, that is funny, Cyrel! My friend who used to live down the street, also has 2 cats. We took care of each other's cats any time one of us had to travel. It was reciprocal and we never paid each other. Twice a day, for food, litter and whatever. But she recently moved to Stratford so I am looking for someone else now. I do have a friend (acquaintance really) who does pet sitting. I have to call her tomorrow and fill her in on the situation and see if she would be willing. If not, I am up the proverbial creek. I would still board Theo, in order to give Owen some peace from Theo's bullying, he might enjoy that. But if I can't get him into the carrier, I am content to leave him here. He isn't as destructive (or curious) as Theo. I hope.

"Owen isn't easily lured by food or anything, either. Of course he's not."
Well, this made me chuckle but I also know it's not entirely funny. We have to take Carson to the vet on Monday and I'm already anxious about it. We'll give him gabapentin two hours before trying to load him into the car, but.....

I was also saying to Carson the other day that I don't know what trauma he experienced in his kittenhood but it was clearly something. It sounds like you are dealing with a similar situation. Sigh. I wish we could explain to them that, whatever happened, we absolutely promise we will never let it happen again.

Sorry to hear about your mom's fall and glad nothing was broken. It is just so hard to be supporting from such a distance.

I'm also sorry to hear about the reading funk and challenges with concentration. I know when I have had those spells it is so discouraging. For those of us for whom reading has been a lifelong comfort and refuge, it's hard when it's not "working."

>203 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen. Yes, I am not sure that I will ever be able to overcome whatever trauma Owen experienced before I adopted him but 2 years in a shelter can't have been fun, either. I do feel I have made good progress but there is still a long way to go. I sometimes wonder if Theo weren't here, if it were just me and Owen, if he'd be more relaxed. But I can't imagine Theo not being here, despite his *Catitude* so that is something they will have to work out between the two of them. I am hoping it sorts itself out eventually, that Theo calms down and mellows as he grows into maturity.

As for my mum, I found out yesterday, after speaking with the doctor and the physiotherapist, that she actually does have a compression fracture on one of the bones (T-11) which is slightly below the bra strap area on her back. No wonder she is in pain. They have given her stronger pain meds in addition to the tylenol, some opiod, and the physio tells me she has arranged to give that to her a bit before the physio arrives to work with her so that she is in a better position to respond. I also found out this morning when a nurse called me, that she has been moved to another room, after possibly being exposed to covid by the person who shared her room. That person was being tested and when the nurse called me this morning, no result was in yet. I am glad she is in her own room now but was not pleased that they would have moved someone in before knowing the results of the covid test. I followed up tonight and found out that person tested negative so at least, no exposure for my mum. As Gilda used to say, it's always something!

Yes, the slow reading always bugs me. It happens every year, for one reason or another. I finished book #4 today and hopefully, #5 will be done by the end of the weekend.

So, Ellen, how did it go with YOU, today? Curious minds want to know....

>204 jessibud2: I have never worn a bra, Shelley, but I can imagine having a compressed fracture of a bone being constantly compressed by a bra strap must be excruciating. Give your mum a (gentle) hug from me.

>205 PaulCranswick: - LOL! Thanks, Paul

Busy feeder cam today from Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soaedHPfM6s&utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&amp...

Morning, Shelley. I got to see a few Canada Jays on my trip to MN. Like our Blue Jays, they are a bit skittish so it wasn't always easy to snap a photo. Are they common in the urban areas?

>206 jessibud2: This awesome! I remember watching this feeder-cam before. Within a couple of minutes, I saw blue jays, hairy & downy woodpeckers, cardinal, chickadee and red-breasted nuthatch. I also love those owl shaped feeders.

>207 msf59: - You know, Mark, I have never seen a Canada jay in my life. Just yesterday I heard on the news that in some places in northern Ontario, they are in danger of becoming extinct. Seems odd to me.

>208 msf59:- Turns out, that link is actually a youtube clip of earlier last week, when it was really busy. To catch it live, here's the right link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/cornell-lab-feederwatch/
It is quiet now but so snowy there! I love the cute suet feeders! My own feeder has been pretty quiet lately, just the regulars: goldfinches, sparrows. Even the mourning doves and cardinals are scarce around here. And no juncos or chickadees at all this year so far. Thankfully, though, no pigeons either! ;-)

By the way, have you ever been there, to Cornell, specifically, Sapsucker Woods, in Ithaca? Gorgeous! great hiking trails, too. I was there around 10 years ago or so.

Thanks for the Cornell link. I all ready had it up but it won't work for some reason. The cam won't open, with an error message. Do you have to log in somewhere?

>210 msf59: - Hmm, that's odd. I just tried again from the link I posted in >209 jessibud2: and it worked for me. No log in necessary. Try it again. Or maybe google Cornell lab feeder watch.

I am just past the half way point of Mary Trump's horror story of her family, Too Much and Never Enough. Part of me didn't want to read it at all, because, you know, trump. But part of me is feeling like it's a train wreck and I can't look away. Very early on in the book, she tells of her grandmother have a terrible medical problem shortly after the birth of her third child. The doctors told her not to have any more children. Unfortunately, she did not listen. Donald was her fourth. Can you just imagine if he had not been born??! It boggles the mind.

>212 jessibud2: That's quite a thought experiment Shelley. It is interesting to wonder if T-rump's personality might have been caused/ partially caused by the medical problem.

>213 Caroline_McElwee: - I hadn't thought of that Caroline. I doubt it, though. His father's personality and pathology was responsible, to a very large extent, for the screwed up personalities of his 5 children, that much is very clear. But man, if only she had stopped at 3....

Sorry to hear about your mum's fall, Shelley. It must be so difficult not to be able to go to Montreal and get the facts about what is happening in person. Good luck with your boys. I've had both male and female cats but they were never as destructive as the dogs we had. That could be because the cats were allowed outside but the dogs only went out with supervision.

Hi Shelley!

I'm sorry about your mum's fall and the compression fracture AND the kitty drama, and the continuing credit card scam drama (thank goodness against an invalid card.)

You have way too much going on. *hugs*

I like that Cornell bird-cam link, too. It's been a favourite to check in even though most of the birds don't range into the prairies.

>209 jessibud2:, you mean the blue jay, when you say "Canada Jay"? The blue jay is ubiquitous around here.

>215 Familyhistorian: - Hi, Meg, thanks. Sooner or later (probably later), things will settle down here with the boys.

>216 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen. I hadn't actually listed all the things going on, but when you put it that way, yes, I guess it is a lot. I can add physio to that list too, as the elbow is acting up again too, which ought to tell me to get off the computer more than I am.

>217 SandyAMcPherson: - Hi, Sandy. No, the newly named Canada Jay is actually what used to be called the Gray Jay or the whiskey jay, I think. It was recently (the last year or two, I think), named the official bird of Canada which, if you ask me (and no one did, obviously) is hardly a bird I'd think of as the official bird. I have never seen one in my life, frankly, and I'd vote for the common loon, the blue jay, even the obnoxious Canada Goose as *official* before a gray jay, but there you go. It's why I am not on the committee who decides such things, I guess, ;-)

SUCCESS! I finally got Owen into the carrier and he is at the vet's right now, as I type. And I wasn't even injured in the process. Wow, though, if nothing else, he is keeping my brain sharp, as I have been continually having to strategize over the last several weeks. Last time I tried (I may have mentioned), I got 2 scratches on my face for all my efforts. Not serious and I only noticed them when I looked in the mirror. This time, first thing I did was put Theo in a carrier in the kitchen to keep him out of the way. Then I got Owen to go up to my bedroom, and shut the door so he wouldn't be able to escape. I managed to get him onto the bed and there, for over half an hour, I talked to him (yes, I know he is deaf, but still), petted him, brushed him. Then I had the brainstorm to place the carrier on the bed (it's been in my room for over a week and for the past 4 nights, he has chosen to sleep inside it. Never, of course, at the appropriate times, such as when the vet's office is open). Anyhow, I placed some treats inside and gradually, after a good 30 or 40 minutes, he actually decided to check them out. That's all I needed. I shut the door and we were off to the vet's. She had told me to just bring him in if I ever succeed, no appointment necessary. As luck would have it, she is booked solid today and likely won't be able to see him till this afternoon. I told them that's fine, even if they have to keep him overnight (they said that wouldn't be necessary), but I don't want to have to go through this again if I can avoid it. I also said I wouldn't mind if they sedated him, to avoid more unnecessary trauma for him, not to mention to make it easier for them. I would normally never consider such a thing but he is truly an exception to anything in my previous experience and more than anything, I want to avoid further trauma.

Fingers crossed.....

>219 jessibud2: Congratulations on your patience, Shelley. Poor Owen, he's lucky to have you so dedicated to his best care.

Congratulations!

Result Shelley. I can't remember now why he had to go to the vets ha.

>219 jessibud2: Baby steps.....well done!

That is very good news indeed...no blood shed, no issues with the vet, all happiness making.

Thanks, Linda, Cyrel, Caroline, Mary, Richard. For one thing, he had not been to the vet since I brought him home from the shelter, 4 months ago. I wanted to get him micro-chipped. Then there was the issue with those claws. I have never had a cat where I was unable to manage the mani-pedi by myself, but Owen is the first. Plus, and this is a major concern for me right now, I think there is something wrong in his mouth. He lip looked swollen and there was no way he would let me near enough to check it out. Cats are notorious for not showing pain until it's really advanced and I wanted to have the vet get a good look (thus my request that she sedate him if necessary) and hopefully not get to that point for him. I figure, once I have him in there, let her do it all. Plus a decent checkup. Anyhow, no word yet.

>219 jessibud2: Glad to read you finally managed to get Owen into the carrier, Shelley!

Wow, Shelley... what a cat saga. I hope everything checks out well and that it isn't a huge trauma to repatriate him when he comes home. You are so patient to have coaxed him into the carrier like you did.

Hi Shelley! So sorry about your mom. That's great that she has a sense of humor.

And how is Owen now? I have to confess that we use brute force to get the cats into carriers, but it's easier to do with two people.

Thanks, Anita, Sandy, Rhonda. Rhonda, I used to up-end the carrier and drop Lexi in, feet first but other than that, I never had a problem with any of my other cats. So, here's the Owen update. This might be TMI. Richard, you might want to just come back later, ;-)

What an ordeal with Owen. It took the vet about a minute to understand why I wanted him sedated. He was just incredibly traumatized. They did a full sedation, gave him a full checkup. Most things (heart, lungs, even skin, ears and teeth) were good. She vaccinated him, microchipped him and (thankfully!) cut his nails a short as possible (one of the vet techs has a gash on her arm; she wasn't quick enough in those first 60 seconds of the visit). Dr. Tsang said he did have a infectious lesion on his lip (which I could see and was most worried about for weeks) and she found a (to me) large bump at the back of his tongue. I will spare you the photos she emailed me of this. She said that in cats, allergies often manifest as lesions in and around the mouth. In order to determine if that's what it is, she suggested started him on hypo-allergenic food for 3 to 6 months. $$$ of course, but what can I do. When I picked him up, I also picked up a case of cans and a bag of crunchy of that prescription stuff. I have to tell you, initially, he wouldn't touch it.

About 4 years or so ago, I bought a Sure Flap automatic bowl system (see link below. Scroll right down to the bottom to watch the cool video) for Mia because she was a very picky eater and would nibble throughout the day while Lexi just inhaled whatever was there. It worked like a miracle. I pulled it out again yesterday and tried very hard to get Owen to go near enough to it so the arch could read his microchip. It took some patience and cajoling, but he eventually did and now, I am pleased to report, success. The thing I like best about it is that it keeps wet food fresh as the lid seals it when it closes. Owen has been eating the crunchy but he isn't keen on the wet food. I left the wet in there overnight and was thrilled that it was all gone this morning. Mission accomplished! I guess when he is hungry enough, he will eat it. I continue to feed Theo in my bedroom, door closed. A bit of a juggling act because each wants the other's food but I expect they will both get used to this eventually.

Sure Flap: https://handicappedpetscanada.com/sureflap-microchip-pet-feeder/

(I have to say, this company has the BEST customer service. When it suddenly stopped working after just a month, they sent a whole new one, no questions asked, no problem. And they were really nice about it. I also don't think I paid as much as it shows in the link but that was a few years ago. Still, it's worth every penny).

In other news, my tea bag is missing this morning. I am a slow learner, as Theo is still stealing my pens at every opportunity. Now we can add tea bags to his growing list. ;-)

I hope one of these days Owen starts to understand what a wonderful life he has fallen into. As for Theo....he probably thought the tea bag was a stash of nip!

I still haven't found the damn tea bag, Linda! lol

It is amazing what pets take and stash away!

Too Much and Never Enough, Mary Trump's searing book about her family, specifically, you-know-who. I have to say, I really hesitated about reading this. I had waited for a long time for my turn to come up in the library and when it did, I still had to force myself. But, like a train wreck, I couldn't look away. I have to say, it was a *good* read, if anything about HIM can be. She was very dispassionate and candid about the family history, despite how badly her own family, particularly her father, had been treated. I found it a bit difficult to understand how she still managed to actually love any of them, especially her grandmother, after everything had been revealed in the end but what do I know.

Back up there is >212 jessibud2:, I made a comment about how mind-boggling it was to me that Donald existed at all. Here are some quotes I pulled out, now that I am finished.

on how trump senior raised his son and the consequences of it:

- As usual, the lesson Donald learned was the one that supported his preexisting assumption: no matter what happens no matter how much damage he leaves in his wake, he will be okay. Knowing ahead of time that you're going to be bailed out if you fail renders the narrative leading up to that moment meaningless. Claim that a failure is a tremendous victory, and the shameless grandiosity will retroactively make it so. That guaranteed Donald would never change, even if he were capable of changing, because he simply didn't need to. It also guaranteed a cascade of increasingly consequential failures that would ultimately render all of us collateral damage.

on the eulogy Donald gave at his father's funeral:

- On the day of the funeral, Marble Collegiate Church was filed to capacity. During the service, from beginning to end, everyone had a role to play. It was all extremely well choreographed. Elizabeth read my grandfather's "favourite poem" and the rest of the siblings gave eulogies, as did my brother, who spoke on behalf of my dad, and my cousin David, who represented the grandchildren. Mostly they told stories about my grandfather, although my brother was the only one who came close to humanizing him...Donald was the only one to deviate from the script. In a cringe-inducing turn, his eulogy devolved into a paean to his own greatness. It was so embarrassing that Maryanne later told her son not to allow any of her siblings to speak at her funeral.
Rudolph Giuliani, New York City's mayor at the time, also spoke.

on how she came to consider writing this book. After breaking her foot, she was on her couch when she decided to call the NYT reporter who had been trying to engage her in helping them write an article on DT:

- After a month of sitting on the couch, scrolling through Twitter with the news constantly on in the background, I watched in real time as Donald shredded norms, endangered alliances, and trod upon the vulnerable. The only thing about it that surprised me was the increasing number of people willing to enable him...As I watched our democracy disintegrating and people's lives unravel because of my uncle's policies I kept thinking about Susanne Craig's letter. I found her business card and called her. I told her that I wanted to help but I no longer had any documents relating to our lawsuit years before.

on her assessment of him today:

- Donald today is much as he was at three years old: incapable of growing, learning, or evolving, unable to regulate his emotions, moderate his responses, or take in and synthesize information. Donald's need for affirmation is so great that he doesn't seem to notice that the largest group of his supporters are people he wouldn't condescend to be seen with outside of a rally....
Nothing is ever enough. This is far beyond garden-variety narcissism; Donald is not simply weak, his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be. He knows that he has never been loved....If you are someone who cares about his approval, you'll say anything to retain it. He has suffered mightily and if you aren't doing all you can to alleviate that suffering, you should suffer, too.

Though Donald's fundamental nature hasn't changed, since his inauguration the amount of stress he's under has changed dramatically. It's not the stress of the job, because he isn't doing the job - unless watching tv and tweeting insults count. It's the effort to keep the rest of us distracted from the fact that he knows nothing - about politics, civics, or simple human decency - that requires an enormous amount of work. For decades, he has gotten publicity, good and bad, but he's rarely been subjected to close scrutiny, and he's never had to face significant opposition. His entire sense of himself and the world is being questioned.

Donald's problems are accumulating because the maneuvering required to solve them, or to pretend they don't exist, has become more complicated, requiring many more people to execute the cover-ups. Donald is completely unprepared to solve his own problems or adequately cover his tracks. After all, the systems were set up in the first place to protect him from his own weaknesses, not help him negotiate the wider world....The people with access to him are weaker than Donald is, more craven, but just as desperate. Their futures are directly dependent on his success and favor. They either fail to see or refuse to believe that their fate will be the same as that of anyone who pledged loyalty to him in the past. There seems to be an endless number of people willing to join the claque that protects Donald from his own inadequacies while perpetuating his unfounded belief in himself. Although more powerful people put Donald into the institutions that have shielded him since the very beginning, it's people weaker than he is who are keeping him there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In all honesty, though I admire her for her grit, courage and ability to be true to her own values, I actually felt that I needed to have a shower after this book. And of course, there is the reality of the trial happening right now and how the Republicans who continue to support him to this day, are, in my opinion, as culpable and guilty as he is. Period. ICK.

I still think there ought to be an island, somewhere as far away from civilization, where the criminals, the Donalds and his cronies of the world could be deposited to fend for themselves for eternity. With no internet access, of course.

Another book I read before this last one is called Bad Animals, by Montrealer Joel Yanofsky. I gave the backstory of how I came to this author up in >164 jessibud2:. This book is a memoir of life with his autistic son. Yanofsky was a really good writer, funny, irreverent even, yet deeply thoughtful and insightful and able to cut to the chase. Here are some quotes I pulled out. The title, by the way (which I had wondered about, myself) came from a story his son Jonah wrote in school :

quotes:

- The uninspiring everydayness of living with autism, its routine weirdness, its unbearable bearableness, its incremental ups and downs, is what so often goes unstated. Memoirs skip this part. So, for that matter, do news reports and documentaries. They don't have much to say about the frustrations of doing homework with your child or coaxing him out of bed in the morning; no conferences on teaching him to swing on monkey bars; no PowerPoint presentations on the effort required to have a conversation, a simple, ordinary conversation with your child rather than spending your day speculating on what that might be like. What's more, there is no behavioural therapy, no gluten-fee diets for what autism takes out of you as a parent, the flaws it reveals in your character on a daily basis. All of that has proven to be either not worth conveying or, more likely, impossible to convey.

Whenever I try to tell someone about my life with Jonah it always sounds either far harder or far easier than it actually is. If the person I'm talking to looks overly sympathetic, I try my best to make it clear that Jonah is doing fine, all things considered. If the same person then complains to me about the difficulty their child is having getting along with his best friend, I wait, impatiently, for my chance to point out that Jonah doesn't have a best friend or any friends, really. The same problem arises when I try to write about autism. How do you make it clear to readers that you are coping and not coping at the same time? How can both things be true?

- (quoting from another parent of an autistic child): "One day someone comes up from behind you and throws a black bag over your head. They start kicking you in the stomach...You are terrified, kicking and screaming, you struggle to get away but there are too many of them, they overpower you and stuff you into a trunk of a car. Bruised and dazed, you don't know where you are. What's going to happen to you? Will you live through this? This is the day you get the diagnosis. Your child has autism."

- But now, for me, all these words, labels, come out of my mouth tentatively, as if they should have invisible quotes attached to them, like the string on a yo-yo, so you an pull them back. With autism, there is the added issue of how to use the word itself. Do I refer to Jonah as autistic or do I make the effort each time to say he has autism? Do I say it that way until it becomes second nature to me? Have I figured it out yet? Is autism something he has or something he is?

- Jonah is largely indifferent, for instance, to the idea of receiving an allowance, but this summer, we have begun to give him one regardless. We do it every week, with the hope that the routine significance of it begins to sink in. Jonah is indifferent to the idea of money too...I can't remember him ever asking us to buy him anything in a store, other than food. He will eye a toy sometimes, but he will never take the next step and ask for it or recognize that he has the wherewithal to buy it himself. We will have to teach him this, too, this basic step that is intuitive to all kids who learn instinctively and early on to pester their parents for what they want. We will teach him to be materialistic like all the other little neurotypical consumers.

This is the paradox at the heart of raising Jonah - how much he depends on us to make him independent. Because having protected him for so long, I am also required now to stop protecting him, and having guarded him from failure I am required now to let him fail. Every parent goes through this, I know. But with autism your intuition is continually turned upside down. The counter-intuitive is commonplace. Every decision feels like the wrong one, and the funny thing is, it's supposed to. In many ways, Jonah is like other kids, only reversed. He's not clamouring for toys, at eleven and a half, but he's also not clamouring to be left alone by his hovering parents. Children don't need to be taught to separate from their parents, but Jonah does. He won't, for instance, order me to refrain from kissing him or hugging him when we're out in public. I don't embarrass him because I can't. If anything, he doesn't want me to leave him alone in the dollar store. It's up to me to make the decision - in consultation with Cynthia's voice in my head: let him try - and come to the conclusion that the time is right to stand back and dispassionately observe. These days every moment is a teachable moment, and not just for Jonah."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was a terrific read.

Hi Shelley!

>219 jessibud2: I’m impressed by your patience. Lucky Owen (and Theo) to have you as their forever cat mommy.

>229 jessibud2: Yay for trimmed nails, full exam, vaccinations, and microchipping. The Sure Flap is fantastic, and I really did like the video.

Theo and the missing tea bag. LOL. My baby ginger, Wash, goes for water bottle tops. I found paw prints on my black-glass cooktop the other day and assumed it was Zoe, his mother, but I saw him on the bathroom counter three days ago and two days ago the syringe I use for old kitty Inara’s arthritis medicine on the floor and chewed up. Now I’m thinking it was perhaps Wash on the kitchen counter, too.

They do keep us hoppin’, don’t they?

>233 jessibud2: I read her book last July. Excellent review and quotes.

>232 torontoc: - Cyrel, he is a rascal!

>235 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen. I have to say, I am feeling much better today than I was 48 hours ago about all this. Owen seems to be taking it all in his stride and isn't punishing me as expected. And I'll take that as success. And Theo, well, yes. Just being Theo. Thanks re the review.

I LOVE my library! I just came back from returning Donald to the drop box, and when I went in to pick up the next 2, I saw a wonderful display called Grab Bags. The librarians have curated 6 different bags according to topics, some for kids, some for adults. Because I was the only one there and no one waiting behind me, she let me take 2 home (I had said a few appealed and I would try one this time and one next time). There were also curated dvd packs, 3 per pack. It just felt like coming home with presents! One book bag contained 3 Mediterranean cookbooks (might inspire me to get off my ass and start doing something!), the other bag had 3 yoga books and a yoga video. The 3 dvd pack was called Women Who Changed the World, one on Diana, one on Jackie (Kennedy, I am assuming) and one on Ruth Bader Ginsburg (I have seen that one already but won't mind a bit watching it again). I just think this is such a clever and fun idea.

So much for getting back to reading off my own shelves... ;-)

>229 jessibud2: I'm glad Owen has had his comprehensive health check, and is being treated for the mouth problems.

>233 jessibud2: I recognised every word of that Shelley. It took courage as a close family member for her to write it.

>234 jessibud2: Noted.

>236 jessibud2: - Yes, Caroline, courage for sure. I just added that word to my review. Funny, because I thought of that more than once as I read.

Your story on finally getting Owen to the vet made me smile, Shelley! What a relief, and I am glad he seems mostly OK. Well done!

>236 jessibud2: That sounds good, surprise packages from the library. Have fun this weekend.

Hi Ella. It was a fun surprise. I am hoping to get to the 3 dvds this weekend and all 3 yoga books look good, too. I have already skimmed one of the cookbooks and can see that there is nothing in that one that looks easy enough for me to attempt. I haven't checked out the other 2 yet but the photos alone would make it worthwhile!

Happy Saturday, Shelley. There is another Great Backyard Bird Count going on this weekend. I will submit a list for each day. I got 7 species just a few minutes ago, which includes most of the regulars.

Getting Owen to the vet took tremendous patience, Shelley. Kudos to you for that and to finally getting him there!

I read with interest all of the quotes from Mary Trump's book. To me, it sounds like a spot on assessment.

Glad that Owen got through the vet visit. The sore on the mouth does sound painful, maybe he'll calm down when it's healed?

Shelley. It sounds like you have been consumed with the needs of your pets. It sounds like the visit to the vet was productive, and Owen got through it!

This coming Tuesday, Lilly is scheduled for surgery to remove a black mass under her neck. When the vet examined it, he said he would be money it wasn't cancerous. Still, I worry.

Regarding expensive food for our pets, I found a site regarding diets for dogs. Despite all I try, Lilly does not lose weight. This new food I ordered on line, while expensive, already, Lilly seems to be walking better and her arthritis seems so much better. In just two weeks, she can jump from the bottom step of the deck and jump up to the top. the food is called Nature's Blend and sent from "Dr. Marty," a reputable vet who handles the dogs of the wealthy. He takes care of Oprah's dogs.

It contains a lot of ginger, organ meats, carrots and good veggies. When the large box arrived, Lilly walked around the box and smelled it and wagged her tail.

I hope it is warmer where you are. It is very cold here, with icy conditions predicted this week. ugh.

Good to see that Owen is getting treatment, Shelley.

>241 msf59: - Hi Mark. Do you know about this thread? https://www.librarything.com/topic/304410#n7423310

>242 Familyhistorian: - Pity the Republicans at that trial weren't compelled to read Mary Trump's book. Though, seeing how they could still vote to acquit him, it probably wouldn't have made much difference. I do hope that criminal lawsuits against him start rolling in very soon. There was an interesting article in The Atlantic today by David Frum, one of the few (and one of the first) Republicans to openly denounce trumpty dumpty. I am not sure I entirely agree with him that *it'll do* but the article was interesting:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/impeachment-did-not-prevail-tr...

>243 banjo123: - Hi Rhonda. The ugly welt on Owen's lip (from the sore on his gum) is already almost gone so I am hopeful that maybe the new food is working and maybe it was just an allergy.

>244 Whisper1: - Oh, Linda, best of luck Tuesday for Lilly! I will have everything crossed for you! We don't have a lot of snow but are expecting quite a bit (they say) over the next few days. We'll see. What the forecasters call a lot and what we actually get, doesn't always match... It was pretty cold for a few days but today was bright sun so I bundled up and went for a short walk. It was quite lovely out.

>245 PaulCranswick: - Thanks, Paul. I am relieved.

In Theo news, he has been getting me up around 4, 4:30 the last 2 days. I have not been happy about that. I never did find the tea bag but yesterday morning, I found 2 squished cherry tomatoes on the floor and one on the counter. I always have a small container or bowl of them on the counter and it took Theo 4 months of being here to figure that out. He is falling down on the job! ;-). Needless to say, I was not pleased and I can only hope there aren't any under the stove or fridge. I can't remember how many were in the little bowl but there weren't many, that much I know. I swear, I can't stay a step ahead of him.....

A quick read off my own shelf while waiting for the next library book to arrive, earlier this week. The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis - A Portrait in her own Words, edited by Bill Adler.

This book was basically a collection of quotes from Jackie, with a small selection of photos scattered throughout. She was, in addition to everything else we know about her (or think we do), a woman both ahead of her time and very much of her time. There were some quotes that I admit, I found a tad cringe-worthy, very 1950s/60s: (before their wedding) "What I want more than anything else in the world is to be married to him." (as if there was nothing else for her to aspire to). However, she was still always her own person, as we have come to know.

And some quotes are eerie, when seen through today's eyes, so to speak, if not downright naive:

- "Commenting on the book (JFK's, Profiles in Courage): "A sense of history and ability to learn from the past is of prime importance to any man in a position of leadership today."

- "You never had the feeling that members of the opposite party were unfriendly in the Senate, either with the senators or with their wives. There was always a nice feeling...You get a lot done in the Senate with bipartisanship"

- "Guns have cost us all so very, very much. It's so sad that anyone - even the police - has to carry guns, much less ever have to use them. I wonder if there will ever be a time when the guns of the world will be nothing more than antiques - reminders to future generations of what the world was like back in the 1960s or 1970s."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The book also comes with a 50-minute dvd of the profile of Jackie on the tv show Biography. Coincidentally, I also watched the biopic film called Jackie this week, starring Natalie Portman as Jackie. She was actually quite remarkable in her performance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday I picked up The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted from the library and started it last night.

>247 jessibud2: Interesting quotes Shelley.

Yes, I liked the biopic too.

I look forward to your 5oughts on Bookshop of the Brokenhearted, I only noticed that on someone's list recently..